Home Sweet Dead
by RoseMac
Summary: Set three years after the end of Dead and Gone, Sookie and Eric have been on the run. Now they're returning home.
1. Chapter 1

I cranked up the heater in my car and hit the button for the seat warmer. Almost every time I did this I thought of all the crappy cars I had driven in my life most of which could barely say they had heaters let alone seat warmers. But my Mercedes SUV had no problem fending off the Colorado winter before I even pulled out of the parking lot. If my new boss – most recent in a series of four in the last three years – thought it was odd that one of his waitresses drove a Mercedes, he never said anything. Probably because he had hired the waitress and bartender together and the bartender drove an even more expensive car, only worked the late shift and scared the crap out of the bar's owner.

Eric and I had been in Aspen, Colorado for about six months now, the last stop in a long line of towns we'd been through in the last three years staying well ahead of the FBI and several other groups that were none too happy with my vampire boyfriend or me. Husband? Bonded? Whatever, titles weren't important. Although I did kind of wish that America would make up its mind about vampire marriage so we could have it be a little less awkward. Calling Eric my undead life partner was just a little too weird for me. Anyway, what was sort of amazing about all of it was five towns in three years, my life wasn't really so different. I was still slinging drinks for a living, although now at a really high-priced tourist bar and we rented an amazing farmhouse way outside of town with no one to speak of in terms of neighbors. Although this one didn't need the constant work that mine had and I had totally redecorated it when we'd moved in. I was still involved with a vampire. Although not with the same doubts that I had in the past.

We'd left Louisiana after the situation with the FBI and de Castro really got out of control. It wasn't just about me either, nobody seemed too happy about the connection that Eric and I shared and he had royally pissed off de Castro during the fairy war too, a little too aggressively negotiating for my life with the fae.

It became clear that the only way we were going to get out of anything alive, let alone together (and by together I mean neither of us being shipped to Vegas against our will and living in one of Felipe's hotel as his "guest" while the other one met some equally questionable fate somewhere else), was to "take a breather" as Eric had surprisingly put it. I'd been stunned that he was willing to do this for me, but he had simply shrugged and said that you only get to be a thousand years old by knowing "when to fold 'em and when to run." The quoting of Kenny Rogers had startled me three years ago, but nowadays I knew that Eric adapted and he blended that was why he was more than a thousand years old and how he was going to keep me alive too.

So my adaptable, blendable vampire and I took off for destinations unknown, which turned out to be a series of tourist towns where people didn't really look at the wait staff too closely – well, except for Eric. He had plenty of money that we could have drawn from but we really didn't even need to touch it. I'm a good waitress, so I do okay in a place where people have lots of money to tip, but Eric tending bar in a place where rich divorcees go to relax, it was a gold mine. I think Eric probably could have drained one of the patrons on top of the bar and the owner still wouldn't have cared. Every bar was the same within about two weeks he had tripled their business.

And I thought fangbangers were aggressive. After the first bar, I bought him a wedding ring, but by the third bar I told him to take it off, it just seemed to make them more aggressive. Nothing like a rich woman hearing that the man she wants is married to a waitress, it was like, well I guess like cutting yourself in front of a vampire. Not that I worried about the silicon squad, they were just the same annoyance that the fangbangers had been.

Actually, despite running away from everyone I had ever loved, leaving my home and freezing to death in this climate, I was pretty happy. A fact that I was reminded of as I pulled into my driveway that night.


	2. Chapter 2

The porch light was on which let me know that Eric had risen, but if I'd had any doubts to that fact it was confirmed when he opened the door and watched me drive up. I think he'd started doing this as a security precaution, people always seemed to be grabbing me between my car and my house, but watching him watch me silhouetted against the interior lights, never failed but to put me in an amorous mood, so he kept doing it, even though I at least had stopped looking over my shoulder every minute. I opened the door to exit the car and found him standing next to the door.

"Hello, my lover," he said leaning down to kiss me before I even exited the car. My, someone woke up feeling horny. I took in his thick sweater and jeans and knew he'd been out skiing earlier. Eric loved night skiing. He went every night that he was off. I'd worked swing tonight so it was about 8:30pm now, plenty of time for him to get a few hours in.

"How was the snow tonight?" I asked.

"Wonderful," he replied smiling down at me. When Bill and I would talk about Eric back when we were dating he would say things like Eric had a zest for life. He always said it like it was a really bad thing, but I appreciated it about the Viking. In fact, I knew it was why I'd fallen for him. Immortality really worked on Eric. You got the sense that he would never have been able to squeeze it all in to one lousy lifetime, but he sure was gonna try hard. "And how was work, dear one?"

I shrugged in what I hoped was a non-committal way, work hadn't been all that. It was pretty unusual for Eric and I not to work the same shift. If we were set up on a schedule where I worked day and he worked night we barely even saw each other and we found that unacceptable. I doubted the owner gave a rat's ass what I thought, but a happy Eric made more money than a grumpy one, so it was easier to just stick me on the schedule where Eric wanted me. I'd agreed to sub for one of the other waitresses today though since it was swing and I'd be home early.

Eric was looking at me expectantly and I continued, "It's Spring Break." Hoping that would be the end of it. Honestly, he should know by now that spring break was not fun for me. First of all, my little problem meant that I was besieged with some truly disgusting mental images and then there was just the fact that I was a waitress in a place where wealthy college boys went to play for a week. Like I said, usually, I didn't have a lot of problems with tourists. They learned pretty fast that I was involved. And those that didn't get the hint usually had the tar scared out of them at some point during their stay.

"Ahh," said Eric. "Anyone I need to kill or maim?"

I smiled. "No, but maybe tomorrow you could glower a little."

He draped his arm over my shoulders and absently kissed the top of my head. "Just let me know which way to stare lover." And then with barely a break in the silence he said brightly, "I made you dinner!"

To my credit, I managed not to groan. I had hoped the skiing would avoid this little kindness and maybe he'd just picked me up a cheeseburger on the way home, but apparently not. Eric, I'd learned, was actually a decent cook, but he left a lot to be desired in terms of a dishwasher. As we entered the kitchen I was not surprised to see that he had used almost every pan we owned and all of the ingredients were scattered around the kitchen. "Thanks, honey," I said weakly wondering how long it would take me to clean up this mess.

He sat and watched me eat for awhile. Told me about the skiing and I told him a few funny stories about the bar. But as we talked and laughed I could feel the space filling up with a tension, Eric was hungry and he was waiting for me to finish so he could eat. He was trying to be polite, I could tell, but the urge was building. Which was why I set down my fork and leaned across the table to kiss him. I didn't take much. One kiss and I was out of my chair straddling his lap. The kisses grew deeper and I was being carried through the dining room, my legs still wrapped around his waist. There went my shirt. And then my back was against the wall by the door. I don't know why that was the spot he chose to stop. Maybe he kept a mental note of all the places we'd done it in the house. I didn't remember ever being up against this spot on the wall before. I think maybe on the other side of the door and definitely on the floor in the foyer a few times. I felt his arms shifting my legs to allow him better access to my core and then as if losing patience with trying to be careful. I felt the strap on my thong pop.

"Hey," I whined. "I liked that thong."

His laugh rumbled low in his chest. "I'll get you another. I'll buy you a box of them."

Oddly, the comment shot my temperature up three or four degrees and I pulled at his sweater. He yanked it off hurriedly and I was pulling at his jeans. He pushed my hands impatiently away and began running a trail of kisses down the length of my body. I knew what was coming so I was practically over the edge before he got there. When his tongue connected so cool against my now burning hot skin, I thought I would scream. In fact, I might have and then I was seeing stars. I couldn't get over how amazing this was every single time and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, he bit down on my thigh and the fire started all over again.


	3. Chapter 3

A long while later I was lying on my living room rug in front of a roaring fire. This was not an unusual place to find us at this time of night. In fact, it was so frequent that in the six months we'd lived in Aspen, this was already our second rug. I loved this one, a dark faux-fur that I had seen in the Pottery Barn catalog. It was really soft. I was thinking I might want to drive to Denver and order a couple more of them since we were going through them so fast. I didn't know how often Pottery Barn changed over their styles, I'd certainly never shopped there until I started living with Eric. His silicon fan club would undoubtedly laugh themselves silly knowing that I had never imagined owning furniture anywhere near this nice. I snuggled deeper into Eric's arms and pulled the blanket up a little higher on us. My eyelids felt a little heavy and I was starting to wonder if I should go to bed when I heard Eric murmur, "Not yet."

He tightened his arms around me as I turned to look at him. "Do not go to bed yet," he said. "Stay. If you fall asleep I will carry you upstairs."

I felt a little thrill go through me at his words and wondered that I could still get up the energy. I'd just been thrilled…well, I'd lost count after four but a whole bunch.

"Shall I read to you?" Eric asked and I nodded.

We didn't have too many friends. After all, we had to be careful about who we got close to, but I was surprised that I felt the void. I'd become used to being accepted even appreciated for what I was and having friends that knew and didn't care. I had once asked Eric how he felt about it but he had only shrugged and said that he'd live both with companionship of others and without it. He preferred with, but we were together and that was enough. So instead of having friendships in my case or colleagues I guess in Eric's we had books. At night we'd often end up by the fire reading out loud. Mostly older things, stories that were meant to be told not read. I loved the sound of his voice. We each had our favorites; this week we were reading Beowolf.

Eric reached for the book but could not quite reach it. He had to shift me in order to grab it and I grunted in displeasure at being moved. He was smiling down at me and I knew he was thinking of abandoning the book and making the most of his new position when we heard a knock at the door. To say we froze would not even describe the stillness that suddenly filled our living room.

I stayed as still as possible to allow Eric to scent the air, but when I looked at him questioningly, he simply shrugged.

"I should have let you shower," he stated in response to my unasked question. "All I can smell is steak, stale beer and sex. You really are such a bother Sookie," and he leaned over and kissed me deeply before rising and pulling on his jeans. I stood as well wrapping the blanket tightly around me and began looking for my clothes; unfortunately all I could see was my skirt. Eric was reaching behind the couch to retrieve a gigantic broadsword. He reached into the end table drawer, tossed me a stake and went into the foyer to answer the door.

I couldn't see the door from my spot in the living room. I would have had to actually step into the foyer to see anything. But from the tone of Eric's voice, I assumed that we weren't about to be slaughtered, so that was a plus. I grabbed my skirt and my bra, but as I continued to look around I noticed that my shirt was in the dining room and my midnight blue thong as sitting on top of a ceramic vase I had picked up one Saturday afternoon at a craft fair. That was a little embarrassing since the vase sat on a table right in front of the door. Well, I suppose that's what a caller got for dropping by unannounced.

Gathering my dignity, I wrapped myself a little more tightly in my blanket and walked out into the foyer to find out what was happening. Not being a total idiot, I placed myself behind Eric and peered around his shoulder. Noticing my presence, Eric turned and smiled down at me. To my surprise, my blanket attire only made him smile more broadly. I thought he'd frown when he saw my lack of clothing, but when I saw the person on the other side of the threshold, it all made sense.

"Why Bill Compton!" I exclaimed smiling like my cheeks were going to crack. "Whatever are you doing here?" My accent was so think it even hurt my ears. Eric was almost laughing now.

"I was deciding whether to invite him in or not," Eric said sounding almost lazy, but I knew that was a load of baloney. Eric had never been lazy not a day in a thousand years.

"You're dead," I replied flatly. "I don't see how you get a say-so."

Bill frowned at me as if it was in bad taste to remind Eric that he was dead. Eric just chuckled and moved away from the door leaving me clad in my blanket to issue the invite.

"Bill, you come on in," I said with as much dignity as possible. "And I'll just go change."

"Changing would imply you were wearing clothes, lover." Eric pointed out. And I couldn't help but notice that he was leaning on the table that so obviously held my thong. For such a little piece of fabric it seemed to be the focal point of the room.

I glared at him and started toward the stairs. I wanted to offer Bill some blood as my grandmother's raising demanded, but I had learned enough about vamp courtesy to know that I couldn't ask Eric to get it. Bill was younger. This was Eric's home and I was here. I needed to be the one to get the blood. But I wasn't doing that wrapped in any damn blanket, so he'd have to wait. I doubted Eric would even bother offering him anything, so I suppose a delayed offering would be polite enough. Fortunately, I had purchased some blood recently. We didn't always have it Eric tended to eat straight from the source nowdays. The source being me.

Pointing in the direction of our living room as much as I could without losing my blanket I said to Bill, "You make yourself at home." And then turning a glare on Eric who looked highly amused I said, "You want to come with me," and stalked toward to stairs in what I hoped was a regal manner.


	4. Chapter 4

I wasn't actually too confident that Eric would follow me, but I managed to get all the way up the stairs without checking and was on the top step when I felt his hand snake up my leg on the inside of the blanket. I skittered away from him and hissed "What are you doing? We have company!"

Entering our bedroom Eric flopped on the bed and stretched out across it. He was still only wearing jeans and I knew there wasn't anything under them either. I felt a little warmer for a second, but I cooled off real fast when he commented, "It's just Bill." Like we had company from Louisiana every single day. Not like we'd been on the run for three years. I didn't keep my clothes in here since this room had light-tight steel shutters all that was in here were pajamas and lingerie. I reached into my drawer and pulled out a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a hoodie and began putting my hair in a ponytail. "What's he doing here?" I asked Eric more than a little perplexed – word of the day – by Eric's nonchalance. Nonchalance had not been a word of the day but it had been in Wuthering Heights, a book that Eric hated. He thought Heathcliff was an ass, not for the reasons that most people thought, but because he didn't do more to get Cathy back. When I asked him what he would have done he'd said in a serious and really sexy voice, "Do you not know what I would have done to take the woman I wanted from another man?"

We hadn't touched Wuthering Heights since, but every time I remembered the night he'd said that I felt a blush rising.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly. He sounded almost worried and then I realized he thought I was remembering something with Bill. It made it easy to feel tender toward him.

"Wuthering Heights," I said softly. I knew that there was sex slipping into my voice and wanted to give myself a small shake or possibly smack upside the head. Eric reached out and grabbed me around the waist pulling me down next to him on the bed. I landed a little harder than I think either of us had anticipated and heard the bed springs moan – wonderful. I could only imagine what Bill was thinking downstairs. Eric rolled on top of me and kissed me deeply. "Let's tell Bill to come back tomorrow," he whispered kissing my eyes and…oh lord, not my ears.

I cleared my throat and tried to stay very still. I knew from experience that wriggling trying to get away didn't work out well. "We have to work tomorrow," I pointed out, but to my own ears my voice sounded hoarse.

To my surprise, Eric rose with a fluid grace without another word of protest and extended a hand to me to help me up off the bed. And then he leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "I would have done more," he said softly. I guess I looked confused because he clarified. "To win you away from Bill. I would have done anything."

I knew he meant that literally. When a vampire says they would do anything they mean it, no hyperbole. I thought my knees would go weak, but because he's Eric he finished it with, "Fortunately for me you are much more intelligent than that selfish little slut Cathy and knew the better man when you saw him."

He was out of the bedroom and starting down the stairs and I found myself having to quickstep in order to keep up. "You really know how to sweet talk a girl," I sniped.

"Yes," he replied as we entered the living room. "I've always been known for that. It was a compliment, I did call you intelligent."

I snorted as we entered the living room and asked Bill to come into the kitchen. Eric had already gone ahead. I wondered what we must seem like to Bill after three years. When I entered the kitchen I was a little surprised to find Eric sitting at the head of the kitchen table. He didn't usually sit there and in fact, he usually didn't sit until I did. As he indicated to Bill that he should sit as well, I looked at Eric's face and saw someone I hadn't seen in three years, the Sheriff of Area Five was sitting in my kitchen looking at me expectantly.

Well, there was a man I hadn't seen in several years. I wasn't really certain that I missed him, but I'd become a lot more practical in the last three years. If Louisiana and all her problems had come calling I suppose that the person that was needed was Eric the Sheriff, not Eric the ski bum who had basically taken a three-year extended honeymoon with his human mate. Suddenly, I had the feeling that the piper needed to get paid.

I popped two bottles of O positive in the microwave and handed them to the guys at the ding.

"So what brings you out here Bill?" I asked since Eric either already knew or wasn't planning on asking. I kind of figured that Eric had always kind of kept an ear open as to what was going on, but I didn't know how he did it and I didn't bother to keep track of it. He shared what he chose, which was mostly little tidbits about Pam's social life or complete lack of business acumen. It wasn't that I'd suddenly had a personality change, it was just that it didn't really affect me directly anymore so I was able to hear about Pam the way another husband might share gossip about his still single sister.

Bill turned to Eric with a smug look and replied, "You mean Eric hasn't told you?"

Now I was grining like an idiot looking from Eric to Bill. I got what Bill was implying like I've said, I'm no fool. But I really didn't think that Eric would keep anything from me that was important.

"They're asking for your return," Bill stated like I knew what that meant.

"Who is?" I replied starting to get a little snappish. I mean hell, it was late and I was tired and just not in the mood to dance in verbal circles with a damn vampire, especially one I wasn't even in love with.

"Felipe De Castro has bargained with the FBI and they would like you to return. You would stay in Louisiana under our protection. They need your services. Supes are disappearing all over Louisiana."

I cut my eyes to Eric. Why wouldn't he tell me this?

"Pam called me early this evening," he replied to my unspoken upbraiding. "I was going to discuss it with you and call her back, but then Bill arrived."

"You forgot to discuss it with me," I pointed out.

He smiled unapologetic. "You distracted me."

I rolled my eyes in return, "With what the smell of stale beer and burgers."

He reached out and pulled me from my chair into his lap and ran a fang along my shoulder. "All that talk of difficult college boys," he murmured.

A part of me wanted to smack him, but a part of me wanted…well, Bill was here so that part was going to have to wait. "What do you say lover," he continued murmuring softly into my shoulder, if Bill had been human he wouldn't have been able to hear any of this, but as it was I knew he was getting the full scoop no matter how interested he pretended to be in the label on the TrueBlood bottle. "Do you want to go home?" Eric asked softly.

Home. The word hit me like a ton of bricks. Jason. Sam. Tara. Pam. Amelia. Arlene…well, maybe not Arlene. Bon Temps. Hell yes, I wanted to go home. But there were about a million unanswered questions that I couldn't even begin to comprehend.

"You are getting tired," Eric said firmly. "We can discuss it more tomorrow."

Bill's back went rigid. "The decision needs to be made quickly," he stated in his earnest voice. "The situation is quite serious."

Eric's eyebrows drew down as he fixed a serious glare on Bill. Now that was a look I hadn't seen in awhile. I hated that look. I wanted to smooth his eyebrows back into place with my fingers.

"Nothing needs to be decided tonight Compton," he all but growled.

"You are no longer Sheriff," Bill bit back just as angrily.

I felt Eric start to rise and knew that was my cue. I jumped off his lap like he'd just caught fire and smiled brightly. "Thanks for coming by and telling us all about this Bill." Bill looked confused and irritated. Eric looked like he might burst something from trying not to laugh. One thing I had learned about Eric over the years was that his default mood was actually pretty good. He enjoyed a good laugh and he found me extremely entertaining. I wasn't above taking advantage of any of that if it mean avoiding a fight. "It's a lot to consider and I have a lot of questions. Tell you what, I'm going to make a list and email you them by the time you rise tomorrow. You find out the answers and come on by the bar and we can talk about it after closing."

"The bar?" Bill repeatedly dumfound.

"That's right," I said firmly. "Check your email first thing when you rise and we'll have a list of questions that need answers before we make a move. I'm assuming you are authorized to make decisions for de Castro?"

"I'm not Sheriff, but I was asked to come as an emissary."

"Okay," I replied. I found it odd that Eric was saying nothing just watching the exchange like you'd watch a tennis match. I was waiting for him to do that fake quiet applauding they do.

"Who is Sheriff anyway?" I suddenly asked Eric. I'd never asked in three years. I didn't care.

"Pam," he replied lazily.

And all I could think was, well crap that answered one question, if we went back, we'd pretty much be back right where we were when we left. Wasn't that just peachy keen.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry, this is a really long chapter. I just couldn't figure out where to break it up. Also, I forgot to put the disclaimer in except at beginning, so...for this and all previous chapters. I don't own anything.

When I awoke the next morning Eric's neatly written list of questions was propped up against my coffee mug waiting to be emailed to Bill. There was a post-it note on top that read:

_Lover, I can not tell you what to do, I can try, but I know you will only listen if you chose to. However, I would advise against confidingly overly much in Compton. I will work to keep you safe no matter what we choose to do. E_

I went back upstairs to the light proof bedroom and kissed him softly on the forehead. One of the downsides of living with a vampire other than knowing that you are the one that ate all the cookies is that the day can get kind of lonely. I was pretty much a night person nowadays, which meant that when I woke, there was always a lot to get done. I had dry cleaning to pick up, shopping to do and questions to email Bill. But maybe the questions weren't really that important. Maybe what was important was just how I felt. I had hated the way Eric looked last night, but I knew I could trust him with my life.

I reached for a disposable cell phone that was sitting on the kitchen counter. In that way my life was real different, we kept a bunch of them around, and I dialed.

"Merlotte's," stated a voice on the other end.

"Hi Sam," I sighed softly into the phone hearing the tears well up in my voice.

There was a long pause before he whispered back, "Sookie?" It sounded to me like he was tearing up too.

"How have you been?" I asked.

"Good, cher. Real good," Sam replied with tenderness. "What about you?"

"Aw Sam, I've been…well, I've been real good too." And that was when I knew. We needed to go back. I loved life with Eric, but I wanted it to be my old life with Eric in it, not this weird other life. I wanted my home back. 'We're coming home Sam."

There was a long pause before he said, "Well, I can't wait to see you darlin'"

I tried to think of something else to say, but there really didn't seem to be anything else. It wasn't like I was calling with flight numbers or something.

"Well, I'll be seeing you soon then," I said and hung up the phone.

That night at the bar time seemed to drift in and out. My tables were slow and I was kind of bored. I passed the time waiting for Bill by watching Eric. We'd driven in together and I'd told him I wanted to go home. Although he hadn't actually sighed I felt like he had. After a really notable pause he'd said, "You know things will be different in Louisiana."

I'd known of course, but I sort of hated his confirming it. "Yes," I'd said in a very small voice. "But, it's home and…will it be so different?" And suddenly I felt sort of cold, "I mean you'll still love me in Louisiana right?"

He'd looked at me. It wasn't a boyfriend or husband kind of look. It was like he used to look at me like he wanted to rip my head off and bathe in my blood only he wasn't going to because he'd miss me once he'd done it. Also, sort of like I was the most exasperating person in the world. "That isn't the issue Sookie. In Shreveport, it is not just us as it is here. And it will make a difference."

I nodded. I'd already known this. I would have felt better if he'd just said he'd love me anywhere, always – men think that kind of thing gets boring, but it really doesn't.

"But I understand your desire," he said. "I also miss it."

I'd been shocked. "You do? I didn't know that."

He'd smile and pulled into the parking lot of the bar and parked. "Well, vampires are notoriously unemotional, Sookie," he deadpanned. "In fact, before I met you it had been centuries since I felt anything much at all. You really have turned my world upside down."

"Sorry, for the inconvenience," I snapped a little hurt although I couldn't really figure out why. I mean he had just said he hadn't felt anything in centuries until he met me. That was a compliment right? Of course, he could mean irritation.

"Oh it's no bother," he teased. "Truly, the change has been welcome. It makes everything much more complicated, but still I am happy."

He kissed me and got out of the car. I wanted to yell at him, but couldn't really think of a reason to be angry, so I got out too and went to work.

That's what I was thinking about as I leaned up against the bar waiting for Bill to show up. Eric had been ignoring me for a lot of the night I suppose he was just steering clear of my inexplicably snippy mood, but now drifted over to stand next to me.

Before he did, he gave Celia, one of his biggest divorcee fans, another drink. I could hear her thoughts clearly as he meandered over to me. He knew the idea that he had no feelings sort of got to me, mostly because I thought it was a load of vampire bull crap. He had feelings. He'd always had them. He had them for Pam. And for his damn bar. And he'd had them for me long before he lost his memory; maybe the feelings were buried way down. Maybe they would have taken a long time to surface, but they were there. Definitely in Jackson, maybe even in Dallas. Feelings other than lust that is.

And then he was there and I was looking at him thinking how beautiful he was and Celia's shrill voice was sounding off in my head that he must be sort of deranged to want me. That she could give him anything he wanted and what could a waitress possibly have to offer.

"That's quite a face you're making," he commented leaning against the bar. I fixed him with a classic jealous girlfriend scowl and replied tartly, "You're missing out on some really nasty sex with Celia. Are you sure you want to keep hanging around with a dumb southern waitress who's probably – did she seriously just think inbred!"

Eric grabbed my shoulder forcing me to look at him. "That's not my head you are in Sookie. I can not help what others think." He shrugged and continued, "But its been awhile since I needed to kill anyone for you, so if you'd like me to kill her for thinking mean things, I will gladly do this for you."

I didn't think he was serious, which is why I rose up on my tiptoes and said, "Aww, that's so sweet" before kissing him. I had meant for it just to be a quick peck, but as Celia's voice sounded off in my head about how repulsive I was, I couldn't seem to resist deepening the kiss and lacing my hands through Eric's hair.

He purred against my mouth. "I think that woman over there also wants to do bad things to me."

And I found my bad mood disappearing. It had not been a strong joke, but it was so very Eric that it lifted my mood. "Maybe later you can show me some of the things she was thinking…"

He arched an eyebrow at me. "I could show you now in the storeroom."

I skittered back a little bit knowing that he would leave the bar untended and let the customers walk out without paying if I gave him the chance. And searched for a mood altering topic. I had one ready because I'd been wondering about it since last night. "Hey," I said. "Why don't you like Bill?" Yup, that did it. The special light that seemed to glow behind Eric's eyes whenever sex was a possibility flickered right out.

"You mean other than you?" he replied.

And I blushed. I don't know why, it wasn't like it was a secret; Eric had gone after me right in front of Bill.

"Don't worry," he laughed. "I didn't like Bill long before I met you. Have you been worrying about that?" He seemed to find the thought of my worrying over my being the cause of a falling out with Bill sort of amusing.

I shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it much recently," I replied. "Until last night."

Eric looked at me – uh oh, the sex look was back. "Once I met you, of course, it became very difficult to keep from killing Bill and simply taking you."

I ignored that last statement because I already knew that. "But why? I mean what's so wrong with Bill."

Eric shrugged. "Why don't you like…I don't know…Portia Bellefleur?"

"I don't know," I said, which was a lie. I totally knew; it just felt wrong to say it out loud. Eric didn't have these kinds of ideas about what gets said out loud versus what didn't. Well, he did, but his criteria were significantly different than mine. I was concerned about what was polite and what others might think. He was concerned about who might use the information against you and who might be trying to kill you.

He fixed me with a cool stare. "It is beneath us Sookie for you to lie to me about such a silly thing." For a second I wondered if the whole 'polite' conversation had been out loud or just in my head. And then I realized that Eric knew me really well at this point and even when he hadn't known me as well, he knew when I was lying.

"Okay, well, she's a snob and she's mean. And she's so serious about herself. It's irritating."

He smiled. "That was not hard was it? These are many of the same reasons I do not like Bill," he said. "He's a wet blanket –- that is the term?" I nodded. "And I have lived many years I do not need to be around people that bore me." He paused and seemed to consider what he had said and continued. "His ideas are not mine. I came from a different time. A time that prized action while he came from a time that prized gentility. I do not understand this as a way of life. And I believe that it does not fit well with the nature of a vampire. I do not like Bill and I do not trust him because I believe him to be at war with his own nature in many ways."

I was staring at him. I felt like a lot of things that had happened when I was with Bill made a lot more sense now. Eric looked at me and continued. Seriously, I couldn't remember when I had heard him talk this much at a stretch, at least about something like this. "Truly, the only thing Bill and I have in common is that we are both vampires and we both love you. We're no more alike than those two men in your favorite movie – you know the long one."

I laughed merrily and teased, "Gone With the Wind! Does that make me Scarlett? It's every southern girl's dream!"

"Yes, Northman, what a lovely comparison," Bill drawled. I jumped about a mile, but realized that Eric had known all along that Bill was standing there. I couldn't decide what irritated me more Eric's blaspheming my favorite book to get back at Bill or Bill's exaggerated southern drawl. "You have seen it all the way to the end," Bill asked him. "You know Rhett leaves Scarlett at the end?"

Eric grinned at Bill and replied, "You see what I mean lover? He takes every little comment so seriously, obviously, I am much better looking than Clark Gable anyway." He sauntered off to check on his favorite silicon-laden customers.

"Honestly, Sookie," Bill growled. "I don't know how you stand him!"

"Bill, stop." We both looked down the bar at him blatantly flirting with a growing audience of women. He turned to me and winked. I shook my head and said to Bill, "Despite some of his more obnoxious moments, he's a good man."

"He's an arrogant ass!" Bill shot back. "And certainly, not a man."  
"He can be," I replied vaguely. I think I was responding to the arrogant ass part of the statement because by my definition, Eric was always a man. He shouldered his responsibilities. He protected those he loved. He treated the people that he loved as if they mattered. I guess I had simple tastes because it was all I was looking for.

Bill laid his hand on mine and said softly, "You don't have to stay with him Sookie. There are others that can protect you now if that is what you need."

I slid my hand out from under his and tried not to make it seem like the subtle threat to Eric hadn't hit me as hard as a punch in the stomach. "I need Eric," I replied firmly.

It hadn't escaped my attention that Eric had let this little scene play out before wandering back over, like we were clients that might need drinks not a waitress and her vampire-ex hanging out in the service area. I hope my tables were okay. I did a quick scan and saw a guy motioning for the check. Probably good that I was quitting because otherwise I might be getting fired tonight. Eric was back now looking at Bill and I as I riffled through my open tabs. "We're coming back Bill. I guess that's what you need to know. We'll see in Bon Temps shortly."

"But I –" Bill started to say. But I was already leaving to get to my table. I heard Eric say to him as I dashed out of the service station, "Looks like you're stuck with me Compton. I'm so glad you came to visit. It's all been very enlightening."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to everyone that has reviewed. It's my first story so feedback is a plus. This story is completely outlined and about half written so updates will probably happen every couple of days. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Just having some fun in my free time.**

Two weeks later we were standing outside of Fangtasia. I could hardly even believe it. We'd quit that night, only two days notice something I would never do, but Eric was sort of back in Sheriff mode before we even left Colorado and didn't seem to stirred up about two weeks notice. We'd d taken the most roundabout way back to Louisiana. I had been

about to ask Eric if he planned on stopping to see the world's largest ball of twine when I realized he was trying to figure out if anyone was following us back. That probably included Bill who'd been more than a little put out that Eric had told him we didn't need a chaperone.

Despite the worries of being followed and that we might get attacked on the road or something, I really enjoyed the drive back. We'd sold my car because Eric had deemed separate vehicles unsafe and a gigantic waste of gas. When I pointed out that buying a new car in Shreveport was a gigantic waste of money, he'd just shrugged and told me that you could make more money, but natural resources were finite. I'd been tempted to point out that this hadn't stopped him from buying a sports car or me an SUV, but really, was it worth the argument?

So I spent my nights sitting next to him in that amazing Mercedes – so much hotter than my SUV model -- just watching him shift gears worked me into a state of high agitation something about the way his hands looked drove me crazy. At one point when I was watching him, he'd looked over at me and said, "What are you thinking lover?"

I'd smiled at him, "It's just wrong to be this hot for you after three years. Do you think it's a vampire thing?"

He'd pulled the car over in about thirty seconds and pulled me into his lap as he laid soft kisses down the side of my neck and answered, "I think it might just be me."

I'd yanked his hair "forcing" him to look at me, took his lower lip in my mouth and bit hard. That had effectively ended all conversation until we had to skedaddle to the nearest motel before the sun came up.

It had been a nice several days until we arrived in Louisiana, drove straight past Bon Temps and down to New Orleans. Eric's iPhone had been buzzing the whole trip and we were headed to New Orleans to meet with the king. Before going to see de Castro we'd also spent several thousand dollars at Sake Fifth Avenue. I'd protested so much that Eric had finally pinned me against a wall in the Shops at Canal Place and hissed that in Aspen I might be living with a bartender, but in Louisiana I was the fiancée of the Sheriff of Area Five and I needed to look like it. I was really torn between kneeing him in the groin and getting kind of blubbery over the word fiancée. He'd whispered in my ear so softly, "Please, please dear one. You must understand that appearances matter now. If you will not understand this, then I can not keep you safe and we must leave. Being here does not matter to me as much as keeping you safe."

"But everything you have here…" I'd always sort of wondered if he missed it all. I mean wasn't being a bartender a little boring after being Sheriff?

"Lover, my years with you are likely to be limited – unless you change your mind about staying human – and being Sheriff…I have done that for many years and could do it again later if I chose to."

Ah, later, like when I was dead. Great.

I'd nodded and as we continued our stroll through the mall I looked at him and said, "What was that about fiancée that you were saying?"

And that was how I ended up standing in front of Fangtasia in a Lily Pulitzer sundress that Eric said was very "me," four-inch heels that he loved, a string of crazy expensive pearls and a diamond ring so big that I think the garden club ladies in Bon Temps would have called it vulgar while drooling over it.

I looked over at Eric immaculate in a Brooks Brothers navy pinstripe and white shirt. He wasn't wearing a tie and the shirt was open at the throat. The bite mark on his neck – a little testament to just how hot he looked in the suit -- was just about healed. It kind of bugged me that it was healed. I might need to bite him again before we went in, but settled for lacing his fingers tightly through mine and squeezing hard. I think all this vampire possessiveness had become ingrained in me.

He looked down at me. "You don't need to be nervous. I will not let anything happen to you."

"Things happen to me all the time when I'm with you. Remember when I was grabbed by those bikers or the picking up that bomb in Rhodes?" I left out 'or kidnapped by fairies' because we didn't talk about that. We'd worked through it and pretty much ignored it from that point on.

He sighed and shook his head sadly. "But usually, not when you are right with me. Usually more like when you are running away from me. Possibly if you stayed closer you would be safer."

I looked up at him and continued our slow pace toward the door. "It's just such a big change," I whispered. "I know its what I wanted, but you're Sheriff again. It's just so weird."

Most people I think would have thought that the "engagement" was the big change, but it really wasn't that different. Eric considered us married. I did not. Living together, life partners, engaged were all compromises we'd used in the past. Although Eric had been very definite on engaged here. Probably I should have seen that as a big red flag.

He chuckled and without letting go of my hand hugged me tight kind of wrapping my arm around my back. Then he kissed me hard. We were right next to the line for Fangtasia at this point and even as I was really enjoying the kiss I had to wonder if its location was strategic somehow or at least significant.

"But of course, dear one, that is part of the reason they wanted us back so much. They are preparing."

I frowned at him. Clearly, he'd gotten more out of the time with de Castro than I had. Obviously, there had been things happening that I wasn't aware of both over email and in person because he'd seemed to know that he'd be made Sheriff again before we even got here and damn if he hadn't been right. It was almost the first thing discussed when we arrived, pretty much right after "hello." I kind of wondered when and where he was getting his information. It seemed to me that we were either together at some sort of function or he was screwing me senseless in the hotel…hmmm…I'd assumed he'd stayed in the room once I had passed out from too much wine and sex, well, you know what they say about assumptions.

"Preparing for what?" I snapped at him suddenly feeling really irritable.

"War, lover," he said so quietly that it was really a whisper except whispering didn't fit Eric's personality. "Pam is not a war time Sheriff."

"Oh," I said sarcastically. "Like in the Godfather."

He looked puzzled.

"You know, a wartime consigliore."

Eric smiled, "Oh yes, The Godfather. I liked this movie very much. Three was awful though. As you say, Pam is not a wartime advisor and she does not have a human wife."

"Fiancée," I corrected waggling the ring at him. Of course, the ring was simply a promise of an undefined future. Vamps and humans can't marry. There was a lot of debate about it. The Federal Government said it was a state issue. The church railed against it. And states hemmed and hawed but largely avoid the possibility. The ring basically said someday.

I think there were a lot of people that would have said it was really more of a promise ring. And there were a lot of people who would have said it was going to get me nothing but trouble. I kind of saw it that way too, but it was odd that when Eric had slipped it on my finger I hadn't thought much about hordes of fanatics yelling at me about demons. I'd just felt really safe. Ironic – word of the day – because safe was probably the last thing the enormous diamond made me. I might as well have painted a big bullseye on my hand.

Eric stopped this time and growled at me, "Sookie, I have told you repeatedly I consider us to be married. We have bonded by the knife. I have promised you I will protect you and care for you and live with you. It does not matter to me what the state of Louisiana says about it. I don't even see how they have anything to say on it."

I was a little overwhelmed by this speech. I could feel my eyes tearing up and I gave him sort of s dopey grin. But instead of talking about it I went in another direction. "Was Pam mad?"

"I did not ask." Okay, then.

"Okey dokey then, so you're here ready for action human wife and all."

"Well definitely ready for action with the human wife. As to the rest, I suppose we'll see what comes won't we." He looked at the club and then down at me. "Sookie, you must know that if things tonight are not as you thought…I am only trying to secure for us a safe life in Louisiana, which is what I believe you would prefer."

Okay…I didn't like the sound of that at all. I was about to open my mouth and demand an explanation when a girl from the line shouted out, "It's him!"

And before I knew it there were autograph books being shoved at Eric and women and even some men – I mean I don't care if you swing that way, it's not my business, but that doesn't mean I want to see you groping my boyfriend -- everywhere. Eric tucked me in beside him and headed for the club door signing a couple of autographs along the way.

'Who are these people?" I hissed at Eric.

"My fans," he said. "I didn't think there would still be so many or we would have gone through the back. I believe Pam sent out a tweet to the devoted that we would be returning tonight. You know it's always good to look popular with the humans…"

He trailed off because I was standing just inside Fangtasia staring at him. "Pam sends out updates about you on Twitter." I was stunned.

"About the bar," he clarified. "Not me personally. Although in this case, it was about me personally. I believe. I did not actually see the tweet."

I have no idea what came over me but I hauled open the red leather door and screamed out at the line. "In case you didn't see it on Twitter, he got engaged!"

I heard at least two of them think, "Engaged ain't married."

Well, I supposed that was a good point.

I turned back around to see Eric shaking his head caught in between mortification, amusement and pride. Pam was sitting at a table a little ways away with Bill and Victor Madden. I think she might have choked on her True Blood she was laughing so hard. Bill sat like a rock. A really pissed off rock. And Victor looked amused.

"She's really quite a firecracker isn't she Eric," he said in his ultra smooth voice when we'd made it to the table. "Miss Stackhouse," he said extending his hand. "May I buy you a drink?"

I nodded and settled in for a dull evening of vampire politics. Welcome home.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks to everyone that has reviewed! I'm a little nervous about this chapter because it explains a lot of your questions and sets up the rest of the story.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them. Don't sue.**

It was a really depressing meeting. It felt weird that they were having it in the middle of the club over drinks. It seemed more like something I would have watched on TV – like on CSI or Bones or something. The crimes had started slowly at first. Supes disappearing and turning up dead in public places just one or two every once in awhile. And nobody really thought much of it because Supes tend to have a higher mortality rate than regular humans, a lot of them sort of run on the darker side of life.

But then people kind of began to notice that it wasn't those darker side ones that weren't that were disappearing. Instead, it tended to be the ones with jobs and houses in the suburbs and human partners. And it was escalating – that wasn't a word of the day, I had gotten it from Eric, living with him I'd found a lot more battle-type vocabulary slipping into my everyday speech. Anyway, there had been a televised execution of a Were three weeks ago. It was what had brought up the discussion of bringing us home.

He'd been an attorney, the Were. I could see that Weres would be real confusing for everyone anyway because well they were human most of the time, of course, a lot of them were married to full humans. So if there's a group that is targeting human and Supe relationships, they were going to be all over the Weres like a duck on a june bug as my Gran would have said. This guy, he'd had two kids – that would never be Weres – and a fully human wife. Apparently, after it had first happened the publicity was so bad that she just backed up and disappeared. Alcide, since he was Packmaster now, had come to Pam to ask for help getting the woman safely away. So she was gone up North, Boston or someplace, Pam said the woman would have moved to Siberia just to get away from it all. She could grieve in peace now.

And this is what I had wanted to come home to. I'd brought us back here without giving it much thought. I'd loved life with Eric, but it had always felt like a vacation. I guess in my head coming home had just been that final step we had to take. You'd think I would have finally learned to just enjoy the happy times when they came around. Although if I was honest with myself, I probably would have just packed my bag faster if someone had told me that I could do something to help. I loved my home and I didn't want it to have gone crazy.

Wanting to distance myself from the conversation because I just couldn't take the sadness anymore or the way they all casually discussed it, I looked around the bar, which looked real good. Pam seemed to be her usual self, dressed in a sweater set and pencil skirt. Her outfit kind of reminded me of the wife on Mad Men. I didn't really like that show too much, but Eric roared with laughter through most of it. Maybe it was funnier if you'd been there the first time. I did like the clothes a lot of the time. She winked at me when she saw me looking at her and said, "Banana Republic."

Victor and Bill both scowled at her and Eric just ignored her. I have to say, Bill was always big with throwing around the faces when you were breaching vampire etiquette, but personally, I thought Eric's acting like it was beneath his notice was a lot more effective. Sort of like ignoring a whiney child.

And Bill, I have to say, he did not look good. I'd heard it could take years to recover from that level of silver poisoning and it showed. He looked like he had cancer. But, he smiled at me when he saw me looking at him and that helped his looks quite a bit. Maybe if he was just happier, he wouldn't look so bad.

"Why now?" I asked the group. I hadn't really intended to get involved in the discussion, but apparently I just couldn't keep quiet. Besides, it was bothering me. I mean what were the crazies all stirred up about anyway. Why did it matter if humans and Supes had relationships? It had always been that way. Even way before anybody knew about Supes there were some humans that did.

All eyes were on me in a way that I really didn't like and Victor Madden said, "My dear, don't you know? It's part of the reason we wanted your help so specifically."

I thought it was a ridiculous question. If I'd known, why would I have asked? I shook my head.

"There is a bill before the state legislature to legalize cross-species marriage here in Louisiana. The Weres have been lobbying for it especially hard, but of course it does effect Vampires as well."

And so now it was all becoming really clear. This terrorist group, because that's what they were, was stepping up their executions because this kind of marriage might become legal and I was sitting there wearing a three-karat target. I really didn't want to hyperventilate, but it was hard. I didn't want to cry. I didn't want to seem like this bothered me, but I'm sure there was nothing that could disguise the way my heart was about to pound out of my chest. "Eric," I said and even I knew that my voice didn't sound right. "Am I bait?"

His looked at me in a way that I hadn't seen in a long time. Like not since I'd been dating Quinn. Like maybe he was about to leap across the table growl at anything else supernatural in the room and just run off with me. But the look was gone in a moment and he was super-controlled again as he said, "No lover, I am the bait."

Right because it was Supes they were targeting not their human companions, at least not yet. Oddly, this did not slow down my breathing at all in fact I think it might have sped up a little bit. I really don't know what the hell came over me because I am not a fainter, but I could hear how fast I was breathing. Eric was sitting across from me and I heard him say, "Pam, she's going to faint." I opened my mouth to say that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard and then when the noise in the club seemed to drift away and I thought that I couldn't believe how pathetic I was and then it was lights out.

I heard Bill yelling at Eric as I came to. "You should have better prepared her. It was ungentlemanly in the worst way."

Geez, Bill even half-conscious I knew enough to know that Eric would not be interested in whether or not it had been 'gentlemanly,' although I could tell he felt a little guilty because I could feel it.

"I believe the entire plan was your idea, was it not, Compton? Were you not the one to point out to de Castro that there are few better-known human-vampire couples than Sookie and I? And with Sookie's friend of the pack status, we'd really be ideal to handle things while serving as a lure for the guilty party. "

I hadn't opened my eyes yet, but knew that Bill was guilty as charged because of his silence. Eric continued and his voice was glacial. "Not that I can blame you, it would be difficult to win her back from two thousand miles away."

"I assumed," Bill said frostily. "That you had enlisted her cooperation in some way. Her behavior tonight…yelling at those women about yur engagement… I just assumed you'd told her and she was prepared to play along." Bill made engagement sound like something really filthy.

Eric's laughter rang out in the office. "That was just Sookie, Bill. Honestly, I do not think you know her as well as you think you do. It did work out nicely though."

"The ring seems a bit cruel though as a prop," although Bill sounded smoothly disinterested even I could tell he was fishing.

Eric's voice was equally casual or what I had come to think of as pretend casual since I had started hanging with vampires. "It's not a prop. Well, perhaps the size is. I doubt it's what Sookie would pick. But regardless Bill, if the law is passed, I'll marry Sookie. If she wants a different ring, she can have whatever she wants."

I was trying very hard to lie still. As pissed off as I was with Eric for not telling me about the whole bait thing I found the way he said 'anything she wants' like literally any ring I might have wanted would be no trouble at all, if I'd wanted to demand that he make the stars into a ring he would have done it, to be one of the most oddly endearing things I'd ever heard him say.

"But will she have you?" Bill sneered.

Eric sounded weary when he replied. "She's wearing the ring Compton, I didn't glue it to her hand."

I took the opportunity to sneak a peak at Eric through my lashes. He was looking right at me so he knew I was awake. He was resting his chin on the hilt of a broadsword. He didn't have it when he came in so I guess it had been somewhere in the office. Maybe Pam kept it in the closet? It didn't really go with the suit, but it still managed to look really hot.

"Do you need water lover?" he said softly. I didn't respond and tried to sit up.

"Ah," he purred. "I am in trouble."

Now I sat straight up. "Oh yeah mister, you are in some deep you know what."

He laughed and I felt my anger unknot a little, I loved that laugh. He stood up and tossed the sword on the desk, which could have been kind of a stupid move because I thought for a second Bill was going to grab it and chop his head off.

"What if I take you home and allow you to punish me?" he leered holding a hand out to help me rise.

"Seriously? You think you're getting inside of me any time soon?" I snapped back and then froze in absolute mortification as I realized Bill was still standing there. It's one thing to say that kind of thing to him when it was just us, but in front of people. And yelling at those women tonight, what was the matter with me.

Well, in for a penny in for a pound. "And what do you think the right punishment is for dangling yourself in front of a bunch of crazies yelling, 'look at me I'm screwing a human."

Eric had been leaning against the edge of his desk while I kind of stood in the middle of the room making wild emphatic gestures the way I sometimes do when I am really upset. He gathered me in his arms and shushed me like a small child. "I have no plans to die, my Sookie. I just wish to make you safe."

Bill had left. I don't know when. I didn't care. I felt like standing over Eric and growling at every other living thing that came near us in case they were a threat. I also wanted to smack him senseless for taking such a risk with his life and being so damn overconfident that it was going to work out.

"You better not," I snapped. "Or I'm going to beat the tar out of you."

He kissed the top of my head and sighed, "I would expect nothing less."

"Honestly, Eric, how the hell could you do this? How could you not tell me? This was a big decision to make without even a 'what do you think.'"

He looked at me steadily and replied, "You know every vampire I know thinks I have gone mad. Perhaps I have. They wonder how I have allowed you to gain so much control. They believe it will kill us both. Maybe they are right. But I do not think so. You have given me a wonderful gift to feel again. I do not intend to betray your trust Sookie. All I want is to keep us alive. It appears it is going to be more difficult than I anticipated. Of course, right now it seems that I am in the most danger."

"And you don't think that's a pretty bad situation for me?" I hated the way my voice sounded; clearly I was trying to keep a sob from escaping. Especially considering that whole "gift of feeling again" statement. Wow, you know dating the undead has its limitations, but not many girls get to hear something like that and know that its true and here I was trying not to cry out of terror. "At best, they'll ship me off with de Castro to be his personal telepath."

"And I don't want to think about worst," I hissed after a pause.

"He does not wish to destroy you. He wishes to destroy me. At least at the moment, he sees it as the easiest way to get what he wants."

"Maybe we should just leave again," I whispered.

Eric shrugged. "Sookie, we could not run forever. This moment was always coming. As I once hoped that you were too unique to destroy, unfortunately, you are also too unique to let slip away." His arms went around me and he held me close. "We're in it now lover. And as I said, I do not plan to die."

I sighed, "Look, I know it's been awhile since we've been in this sort of situation. I believe you can get us out of it. But I should let me help you. I can help you. I'm an asset."

His lips brushed the top of my head, "I should have told you. I did not wish to frighten you. It was not…it was a mistake."

Well, hell, that was something I never thought I'd hear. And it certainly did a lot to repair the damage he'd done. "Did you just say that out loud?" I laughed.

I felt him smile against my hair. "We are alone here. And no one would ever believe it."

"Pam would believe it," I teased.

He chuckled a little, "Yes, Pam would believe it. Pam thinks I have lost my mind. She knows that I was aware of the plan, but thinks we should have kept running." He looked at me as if asking for forgiveness. "I have never run Sookie. I have retreated, but only to retake ground. It is who I am…"

"I know that." And I did. I knew it. That was how I loved him for what he was – although possibly it was going to get us both killed. I guess turnabout is fair play though, me being what I was had almost gotten him killed a couple of times too. But one thing was still kind of bugging me so I asked, "The ring isn't a prop is it? I mean we really are…" I couldn't even bring myself to say it the idea that we weren't really engaged.

"I've answered this question, dear one. Why are you so insecure now that we're back?" Huh, good question. But he wasn't real interested in answering it, but moving on to another topic entirely. " I have a punishment that I believe you will enjoy."

I raised an eyebrow at him. He was really determined to make up with me in a naughty way. But he surprised me, "The shifter wished to have welcome home drinks tonight. I will bring you. And you can show off that atrocious ring."


	8. Chapter 8

As we pulled into Merlotte's I tried not to be nervous. No one had ever done drinks in my honor before. I mean who would Sam have invite? Tara? JB? And what about all the people that couldn't stand me; had probably been glad to see me go, they would be there too. I mean it was a public place. As we parked, I was fidgeting. I knew that I did this when I was nervous and that it kind of bugged Eric. Kind of the way his hiding things from me bugged me…all couples have their little challenges.

"Sookie," he said tiredly. "Why are you fidgeting?"

I blushed. In my head I thought I didn't want to talk about it, but maybe I did, after all the fidgeting was pretty much a sure sign. Still the idea of confiding in my thousand-year-old boyfriend, who had been hauled out of hiding to be served up as bait for a bunch of crazy terrorists, that I had party anxiety was embarrassing. But since he was staring at me with his 'not going to let it go' look I mumbled, "I've never had a party before. And even though this is just drinks – its still drinks because of me and I just…"

He looked puzzled and ventured, "I thought this kind of thing was very common among humans. They are always coming to Fangtasia for promotions, birthday drinks, bachelor parties and such."

I think if I could have seen my face it would have been the color of a red pepper. "Well, when my Gran was alive, she might've baked a cake and had Tara over for my birthday or something but…"

"Yes…' he supplied.

I continued on stammering in painful embarrassment. "You know, I never really had any friends, I mean they call me 'Crazy Sookie.' So when you said Sam had invited people for welcome home drinks. I kind of couldn't believe it. And I'm just worried. I mean what if nobody comes. I mean, who'd really want to see me?"

Eric leaned his head against the steering wheel for a moment and I wondered what the heck he was doing. When he looked back at me I knew, he'd been trying to gain some control because when he looked at me again he was in full fang mode. "Do you honestly mean to tell me that these people, many of whose lives you have saved, you are worried about what they think and if they will come to drink with you?"

I nodded.

"I am going to kill the shifter," Eric growled. "Why do you care what these people think?" And then he really lost it and hollered at me, "Why can I not protect you from pain?"

I gave him kind of a half-smile. I guess now we both had party anxiety. "It means a lot that you want to."

"I find it insufficient," he snapped and was out of the car striding toward the entrance of the bar without waiting for me.

The thing about Eric is you definitely have to read between the lines in this kind of situation. He might be all about the sweet nothings when we were alone in bed, but he wasn't ever going to coo, "don't worry about it" or "everyone loves you like I do." But he was here and that was a lot for him to give. As I was finding out this whole idea to come home was turning out to be a lot for both of us to give.

By the time I caught up with him at the door, he had relaxed and I could hear why. There were a bunch of minds buzzing inside. Familiar ones. And then I caught one that really made me smile, "Jason."

Eric arched an eyebrow at me, "He is your brother." I already knew Eric's low opinion of how Jason treated me so no reason to go on about that.

I started to walk inside and then stopped. "How's my hair?" I asked.

I knew that there were boyfriends that would roll their eyes at this one or just say fine without even looking, but not Eric. He stopped and really looked at me.

"Your hair looks lovely as does your dress, but the pearls…"

My hand went to my neck, I'd forgotten about them. "Too much?"

He nodded. I took off the necklace and the earrings. I glanced down at my ring. He caught my hand and growled, "Do not even consider it."

"You're the one that called it atrocious," I said. "Besides, it cost a lot more than a lot of them make in a year."

He looked at me for a long time and then said coldly, "Considering, no one has ever had a party for you before, they can choke on it." And opened the door for me.

So many faces came at me and so many thoughts! When we entered Eric seemed to disappear into the background. I'd always wondered how vampires were able to do this. One minute they were larger than life and the next they might as well be part of the wallpaper. I guess that's how you didn't see them coming until it was way too late.

I was real happy to see everyone. It was no huge group, but certainly the biggest party I'd ever had -- Tara, JB, Jason, Hoyt and Holly, Cal Norris and Tanya as well as Andy and Halleigh Bellefleur (well, that was a surprise, but a nice one) – and they were all there to see me. Of course, I still knew everybody in the place, but most of them weren't there to see me and looked like they would have been pleased to never see me again. As I walked over to join the group, it was pretty nice to hear that most people thought I looked good. As I looked at the group I thought how really good friends were a wonderful thing, but there was one person that was not there that truly pained me. Amelia was not there. Well, I didn't figure that was too much of a surprise so I just smiled as best I could and hugged the people that were.

I saved Sam for last. "This was so nice Sam!" I squeaked. Honestly, I thought I was over being nervous.

"We're all real happy you're home," he said. Well, that was a lie, but it was a nice one. There were a couple of patrons that were just plain scared to death that Eric was in the bar, which truly I felt was unfair. He was just sitting there nursing his True Blood. What was the problem with that?

There were a couple of people that were thinking that they were surprised that I wasn't already dead and that he (being Eric) must really like me to keep me alive for so long. That usually made them wonder what I did that he liked so much – eww!

And then there were a few more that were just thinking a lot of other really nasty things. Portia Bellefleur at least liked my dress although she was mostly thinking that Glenn needed to get his butt over to Eric to talk about doing his accounting because he obviously did very well. Nice.

There was a band playing tonight and Jason asked me to dance. In all the time that we'd been coming here I couldn't ever remember Jason asking me to dance. As we wove our way around the floor he looked me up and down, "You look real good, Sook. Fancy."

"It's a pretty dress isn't it," I smiled at him.

He glanced at the dress. "Yeah, seems sort of pink to be hanging out with a vampire."

"You think because I'm engaged to a vampire I'm going to start running around in red leather or something."

I flicked my gaze over to Eric because I knew he could hear me and saw him smile at the red leather image and pick up his iPhone and start typing. I had a bad feeling a red leather dress was going to be showing up in my closet soon.

"Speaking of engaged, that's some ring."

I played with the ring with my thumb and looked at it resting on Jason's shoulder. 'It's sparkly alright."

"I don't remember anyone coming to talk to me about marrying you," Jason said in his best head of the family voice.

I just looked at him. I think I messed up a couple of steps to the dance. "You want Eric to come ask your permission to marry me. You got to be joking?"

"I'm not joking, Sookie," Jason snapped at me. "You don't just propose to a girl without asking her family. It's not right. It's not respectful." I think our voices had risen because people were definitely looking now.

"Jason Stackhouse," I snapped back. "If you don't beat all. Where have you been the last three years? You made me break Cal's hand! And you think I need your permission to get married!"

Jason was aware that people were looking now and hissed at me, "I know you don't need it. I'm just talking about what is right."

"What's right is me getting another drink and you dropping this right now. I'm damned if he'll ask permission from you. He got it from me and that's was a sight harder to get and worth a lot more." And I stamped back to the bar. As I stomped my way across the dance floor I caught Eric's eyes and felt that he was proud of me through the bond. And also that if I'd wanted him to get Jason's permission he might have tossed the ring into the swamp and called the whole thing off.

As I sat down at the bar, Sam got me another drink and I said to him softly, "Sam, did you call Amelia?"

His eyes met mine and I knew it wasn't a quick answer. "She loves you Sook. She'll be here. Just probably not when there are still so many people here. She's a lot different than you remember her."

Okay that didn't sound good. Sam's eyes met mine over the bar and he said, "We've been seeing each other some."

"Sam, that's great!" And I really hoped it was. Because Amelia and Sam were two people that I truly loved and they just didn't need anymore pain.

Sam just nodded. And then he got kind of a funny look on his face and I turned to see Bill standing behind me. Pam had come in as well. She nodded to me, but sat down with Eric. She leaned in and said something that caused him to cut his eyes over toward me and then say something to Pam that made her howl with laughter. Well, okay then.

"Sookie," Bill said in the formally polite tone I had always liked so much. "Would you do me the honor?"

Oh, he wanted to dance. I put my hand in his and headed to the floor. As I walked I looked back at Eric to see if he was okay with this, but he seemed to be making a point of looking like he could care less. As I saw Pam smirking next to him I figured that was exactly what he was doing making a point of how fine it was with him if I danced with Bill.

As I settled myself in Bill's arms a big part of me wondered why he didn't just go away. There was no love triangle here. Sure it had been there once, but I'd broken up with him dated two other guys, run off with one of those two guys and come back three years later engaged to him. Seriously, how was there still hope? I didn't say any of this as we twirled around the floor, it wouldn't be the polite.

"I hope I haven't hurt you," he said coolly.

"What do you mean?" I really needed him to narrow it down. Bill had hurt me a lot. Was he talking about the past or the fact that he'd apparently been part of a plan to throw my fiancée to the lions. Which was a crazy idea anyway, who thought of Eric and thought yeah, there's someone that's perfect for bait. Maybe if you were looking to catch women, but really other than that?

"What you heard in Eric's office –"

"Pam's office," I corrected. I really didn't want to have this conversation.

"Yes," Bill ignored my interruption. "I am trying to protect you Sookie. I didn't want you to be hurt by what you might have overheard."

"Bill," I'd had enough of this. "Just stop helping me, okay? I don't need it. I don't want it. You're trying to protect me from Eric, which really benefits you more than it benefits me."

"You've changed Sookie," Bill said sadly. Well, maybe I had but wasn't change part of being alive. I mean if you didn't change weren't you pretty much finished.

"If you want to help me out," I snapped. "Maybe you could help me keep Eric from getting hurt because I think using Eric as bait because of me is a really terrible plan."

I saw Eric sit up a little straighter at the idea of Bill helping protect him. Yeah, he was keeping an ear on the conversation and yeah, you big ox, I think you need help. My help.

"I think Eric has proven over the last thousand years that he is capable of taking care of himself."

"Yes, I think so too," Eric said from behind my shoulder and disengaging me from Bill's arms continued, "You don't mind if I cut in."

But he wasn't really asking because we were already moving away from Bill. "I think I have had enough of your dancing with other men for tonight."

I was about to say something snippy, but then I looked in his eyes and kind of melted. "Yes, I think I've had enough of it too," I said and put my head against his chest. The song was slow which was perfect because we weren't really dancing anyway.

We didn't leave the dance floor until I saw Amelia enter and ran over to give her a big hug.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone that has read and reviewed! It motivated me to get this chapter up and go through the drafts of the next two. Challenging because my children are now off from school for spring break and I have family visiting. So thank you for motivating me!!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything. It all belongs to Ms. Harris. Lucky woman!**

Sam was closing up when we left. I'd hung around talking to Amelia and Tara. I'd made lunch plans with Amelia for the next day and told my brother that we'd be staying at Gran's house that night. Amazingly, he'd said that he had it ready. Eric had long since gone into down time so I had to kind of nudge him to get him moving.

We drove to my Gran's in companionable silence. And then I remembered something. "Did I hear you talking to Catfish Hennessy about fishing?"

"He asked me if I fished, I have."

I cocked an eyebrow at him, "When have you fished?"

"He did not ask me when, lover."

Yup, that's what I thought. And then I remembered something else – a lot more important – that I wanted to walk about. "Were you listening when I was dancing with Bill because you were jealous?" I wasn't just fishing for a compliment I was worried that he might be, jealous that is. And a jealous vampire is just not a good thing. I figured with everything that was happening right now, Eric and I needed to be real upfront with each other something that had been easy when it was just him and me traveling the country, but it was already becoming clear would be much more challenging at home.

He seemed to consider it for a moment. "I would not like to think that I am jealous of Bill Compton, but I suppose I am a little. But that is not why I was listening."

I waited for a little more explanation but got nothing so I prompted, "Why were you listening?"

"I was listening because I can feel your anxiety when you are with Compton. You worry about him too much Sookie. You worry about everyone too much."

He sounded very tired. And I wondered if maybe the stress of trying to fit in with humans for a whole night had been a little too much for him. And then felt guilty for letting him. He was never going to be best friends with my brother or Sam. We were never going to have other couples over for a barbecue. But I guess maybe I've never really told him that I don't need that.

I put my hand on his thigh not really in a sexual way more just to let him know that I was there and we drove on in silence. I found that all I could feel from him was stress. "What are you thinking about?"

We were turning into the driveway and he looked at me. "You. As I have for the last several years."

"What about me?" In my head it had sounded defensive, but I'd caught his eyes looking at the neckline of my dress and it had come out kind of breathless and sex kitten-ish. Oh well, I don't think that had actually been where he was going with the comment given what I could feel coming off of him, but I thought it was a lot better place to end up than a discussion about how to protect me.

"How to protect you. How to keep you from being used by others. How to keep you alive. How to make you scream my name over and over. Things like that."

We parked. "I like that last one."

"Do you?"

I leaned across the seat and kissed him in a way that I hoped showed how much I liked that last one. "Let's go inside," I whispered.

Despite my intentions of getting comfortably in the house before jumping him, I found that I was actually having a heck of a time keeping my hands off him. When we got to the porch I turned on the step and kissed him again. He caught me around the waist and lifted me off the ground kissing me deeply as he walked me closer to the door. I turned away from him to rifle through my bag for the key and could feel him kissing my neck, grinding into me from behind. I almost dropped the key when his hand snaked down the front of my dress into my bra. I managed to get the key into the lock and was just about to turn it when he hissed, "Stop!"

Unfortunately, I am not a vampire and I do not have vampire reflexes. By the time my brain registered stop, my hand had already turned the key. My brain simply could not keep up with everything that was happening. I felt the keys leave my hand and I felt cold. When my brain finally did catch up I was nine or ten stories straight up in the air watching my family home explode down on the ground.

"What the hell just happened?" I squawked between chattering teeth. I didn't know if my teeth were chattering because I was cold or if I was in shock.

"Bomb," Eric replied succinctly.

Well Hell.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone that has reviewed! I've got several more chapters coming soon. They just need some polish. **

**I would have posted more quickly, but I got sucked into several amazing Eric and Sookie stories on the site and have spent too much of my limited free time reading instead of writing. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

I must have had a million questions – who had done this; how had he known? But I could tell that Eric was not in question answering mode; he was in survival mode. He knew there was no way I could make it to Shreveport – where I guess we would go to Pam's that's where all our stuff was – dressed like this. I was already freezing. And it was late, like so late that it was early in the morning. He needed to find shelter soon.

"Bill," I chattered. He'd have shelter for Eric.

He looked at me and his look said clearly he had already thought of Bill and discarded him. Personally, I thought that thinking Bill had done this was just plain silly, but it didn't seem the time to argue or get into a thing about Eric's issues with my ex.

"Sam?" I suggested and he nodded.

We landed back at Merlotte's a little distance from Sam's trailer and as my feet touched the ground I felt like my heart exploded. My grandmother's house. All my happy memories of my childhood. My home. The first time with Eric. It was all in that house. And I felt angry, so angry. And all that anger just exploded -- right onto Eric.

"What is it with you and not trusting Bill?" I snapped. Why had I even said that? I didn't care. It was just a reason to pick a fight.

Eric regarded me coolly, but I could see the look in his eyes and it very clearly said that he knew I was picking a fight. "Sookie, don't you see that it had to be someone that knew we were coming to Bon Temps."

"It was obvious we'd do that," I snapped. "I mean wasn't it on Twitter!"

He just ignored the Twitter comment assuming I was just being petty, which I was. "Yes, you are right it is a logical assumption that you would want to come to Bon Temps, but my feeling has always been that there is someone within the supernatural community that is involved with these incidents. You must trust my experience in these matters."

Who cared! I'd just lost my house! "Anyone could have followed us," I shouted at him.

Apparently insulting a vampire's self-preservation skills is sort of like insulting my brother's truck or Terry Bellefleur's hunting dogs – not something you want to do unless you really want to piss them off.

"I think not," he responded coldly and then continued in a softer tone, "I am sorry about your house Sookie and it is not that I think Compton was involved, I just do not trust anyone with you right now. If I thought you could make it Shreveport without hypothermia I would not stop here either."

I was crying softly now and Eric looked torn between comforting me and dealing with the situation. And after sort of an awkward squeeze of my shoulder he moved on to deal with the situation. Crying women had never really been Eric's forte and I felt like I'd spent half the night blubbering at him about one thing or another. Hell, any guy would probably be close to snapping.

He strode over to Sam's trailer and was about to knock when the door opened and revealed Sam and Amelia, obviously having been awakened by our shouting match. Or my shrieking at Eric depending on how you wanted to look at it.

"Sookie's house blew up," Eric said pretty much in the same tone as he might say he had car trouble. "She needs a place to stay until morning."

"Wait," I cut in. "What do you mean _she_ needs a place to stay?"

Amelia and Sam were both looking at me with that pained look that people get on their faces when people are in denial. Like you can't believe that a relative is dead.

I guess they thought I didn't realize that my house wasn't livable. But Eric knew exactly what I meant.

He came over and tucked my hair behind my ears leaving his hands resting softly on either side of my face. "I can not stay here, lover. There is no place for me to rest."

I hadn't been separated from Eric at night in three years. And I could feel from how wet my face was that the tears were really flowing now. As if the whole almost killed by a bomb thing wasn't horribly enough now I was supposed to sleep alone. I did not want that.

"Sam will protect you," he said softly. "And I must go soon."

I nodded. I might not want him to leave, but I certainly didn't want him burning up en route either.

He was rapping out instructions now. We all have things we do when faced with situations we don't like. I smile like a Halloween jack-o-lantern and Eric barks orders. "Come to Fangtasia tomorrow night."

I nodded. Of course I would. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him, but he had a lot of other instructions.

"We need a place to live," he said. "I do not want to stay at Pam's forever. Start looking tomorrow."

I didn't bother arguing that one day was hardly forever and that maybe we would be safer with her. I didn't really care. Let him make the decisions for the moment, it was all I could do to keep from lying down on the ground and sobbing. He handed me a wad of cash. "If you need anything. And you'll have to find out if the car survived."

I looked at the cash. Well, if the car hadn't survived it looked like he'd given me enough that I could probably put a down payment on a clunker at the used car lot here. Oddly, that seemed to snap me out of it. I gave myself a little shake. It's just stuff I told myself firmly. "Eric, I've got it. I'll be okay. I'll see you tomorrow night."

He nodded seeming reassured that I had snapped back to myself. "You are the strongest human I have ever known," he whispered in my ear kissing the top of it lightly. Which was just mean because Eric knows that my ears definitely get me going and even with everything that had just happened (or maybe it was because of everything that had just happened) I felt a little rush of heat go through me when he did it.

"I love you," I replied wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning my head against his chest. I closed my eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry I yelled at you…I just…"

"I understand," he said. "I love you as well."

He kissed the top of my head and I felt him unwrap my arms from around him and sort of reposition me so I was no longer leaning on him. I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to see him go. I didn't think I could handle it.

I felt the emptiness of the space around me and then I felt Amelia's mind coming at me loud and clear wondering if I was okay and in an equal measure wondering why I had brought all this danger back with me and could she handle it. But to her credit, I never would have known she felt that way if I hadn't been able to read her. She wrapped me in a blanket and made clucking motherly noises about getting me tea and frowned at Sam's suggestion that what I really needed was a shot of bourbon.

The next day was just tough. More of the house had survived than you might have thought, but seeing it all broken was almost more than I could take. On the plus side, the car had survived. So after I talked to the fire department, I drove back over to Sam's to change. You would have thought I would have been all business considering the tragedy with the house and everything, but I was having a lot of problems focusing. So instead of looking for a place to live or sifting through the ruble, I talked Amelia into going to the mall with me for a little retail therapy. Childish? Probably, but I didn't give a damn. I deserved a childish couple of hours. I did call a realtor in Shreveport on the way and set up an appointment for 2pm. I could fly through a bunch of houses before Eric rose.

As Amelia and I wandered around the mall randomly buying things, we passed a Victoria Secret that had a red theme going on. Amelia pointed to a deep burgundy bra and panty set in the window and said I should get them. I looked at the set. They weren't anything that I normally would have worn. First of all they were entirely lace and looked a little itchy. Second, the underwear was more like boy shorts and Eric definitely has a preference for thongs. And then the bra was a demi-cup. Women built like me generally don't wear demi-cups.

I looked at her skeptically.

"At least try them on," she said. Well, what the heck. Wasn't that what a girl's day was all about?

In the dressing room I had to admit, Amelia had a great eye. The boy shorts covered more than a thong, but the way they accentuated my flat stomach was really sexy and the bra, well I was pretty much falling out of it, but I wasn't going jogging in it right? And the color looked amazing on me…well, frankly, it looked like blood against my skin. Maybe that wasn't a big turn on for me, but I wasn't the target audience was I?

We headed to the food court after that for an early lunch. It was getting to be time for me to head down to Shreveport to meet the realtor.

Once we were seated I said, "You and Sam? How did that happen?"

Amelia took a sip of her soda and regarded me for a little while. "Well," she said almost like she was unburdening herself and I started to wonder if I was going to like what I heard. Amelia has always been a loud broadcaster, but she was more closed off now. I got a lot of awful images of depression from her now.

"After Tray…and then you left…I thought I would go back to New Orleans, but I just could never get it together to leave. The effort was just…well, it never happened. And Sam started coming by to check on me. And then I started taking on more shifts at Merlotte's because I hated the silence in the house. And I guess after like a year, one thing sort of lead to another. I think we were both just so lonely, but its been good. Really good."

It hit me that I had left Amelia at a really horrible time in her life. There wasn't anything that I could do about that now, but I did feel awful. "Amelia, I am so sorry." I said softly. "I shouldn't have left you like that."

She shook her head. "It was better that you did. It wasn't helping me heal having the FBI and vampires popping in all the time and seeing you like that and thinking about what Tray must have…" She stopped clearly not able to finish. And I knew that Amelia might be my friend, but she wished it were Tray sitting across from her alive. And who was I to blame her if I had to pick between Eric and anyone else in my life…well, fortunately that had never happened and I hoped it never would. Naeve, Lochlan and Dermit had all died way to quickly for my taste.

"Sam is a good man," I said putting my hand on hers.

I saw Tray flash across her mind and then disappear into a special little box where she locked him away and replaced the image with memories of all the nice things Sam had done for her. "Sookie," she said. "It's great to see you, but what are you doing here? You got out. Why didn't you just keep on going?"

I sighed, but I didn't answer her. Not really. I just said, "I missed home."

She snorted and replied, "Well, nothing says Welcome Home like a bomb."

And then we both broke out into hysterical peels of laughter, which I think just proves how weird my life is.

It had been dark almost a full hour before I got to Fangtasia. I'd retrieved the car, looked at six houses and had printouts for three of them in my bag. The realtor had been pleased as pie to set up a second appointment for tomorrow when I told her we'd almost definitely buy one of the three tomorrow.

Eric hadn't told me how much to spend, but I figured he couldn't really have other vampires in nicer housing, so I'd just gone top of the line. The realtor looked like she'd died and gone to heaven. She'd been so efficient and accommodating that I could even forgive her for asking me if I knew Bill Compton when I said I was from Bon Temps that she was real close to Selah Pumphrey. When she figured out who I was I ignored her thinking that she didn't think I looked all that trampy and that I must have something because I'd obviously traded up – great.

Assigned tasks completed, I had parked the car in the employees lot and headed to the back entrance only to discover that there was now a keypad on the door that required a code for entry so I would have to go around to the front.

My annoyance was increasing exponentially (word of the day). As darkness had started falling, I had found myself becoming increasingly anxious to get to Eric. Once he had actually risen, the fact that I was caught in traffic was driving me insane and now this problem with the keypad. I felt like if I didn't get inside I might combust or cry.

Walking quickly, I made my way around to the front entrance and glanced at the line. It stopped me for a second because I realized I was insanely under-dressed – mini-skirts, fishnets, black leather, black lace, black satin…well pretty much a sea of black was staring at me. And here I was in a pair of jeans, flip-flops and a red v-neck cotton t-shirt. It was just the briefest pause though because I was positively longing for Eric by now, if he felt half of what I was feeling I wouldn't be wearing much for long anyway.

I cut the line and walked in without even stopping to identify myself. I hadn't even looked to see if I knew who was working the door. The hostess, fortunately human, had no idea who I was and turned to follow me. I didn't really notice her until I heard Felicia say, "She's fine."

I looked at the hostess confused as to what she might want and continued my quest. It was surprisingly crowded in the club and I wondered if it had anything to do with Eric's fans. I didn't care. I just wanted to find him. It was starting to feel like there was no air in here. He was not in the back booth. And these damn lace demi-cups were becoming a little uncomfortable against my enormous amount of pent-up desire.

I turned a little and saw him at a table against the wall. He was talking to a vampire I didn't know. He was wearing a royal blue t-shirt that I thought might be the perfect color for him. I think I might have actually licked my lips and then he looked in my direction. I walked over and slid into his lap straddling him.

"Hello my lover. I was wondering when you would get here," he said.

"I missed you," I replied and kissed him hard on the mouth. The kiss only made the fire inside me burn hotter. He pulled back a little and was looking at me in some surprise – I have never been one for public displays – but also with a whole lot of hunger.

I moved my hair back behind my shoulder in a blatant invitation and asked, "Have you eaten?" Even as I did it, I sort of couldn't believe it. I'd never done anything like that before.

He arched an eyebrow at me, "I would not eat without you. It would be rude."

I felt a huge weight lift off my chest. It had never occurred to me that he would not be faithful, but I did realize that he might need to eat and I didn't want to share him. This time my kiss was softer, but I moved my hips as I kissed him. That was all the encouragement that was needed. He stood and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked me to the office never breaking the kiss.

As he kicked the door closed I murmured into his mouth, "Isn't this Pam's office now?"

I was already lying back on the sofa and he was unbuckling my belt with one hand while the other tugged at my jeans. "So?"

I reached down and pulled the tie from his hair. "Well, speaking of rude shouldn't we ask or something?"

He looked at me as if I had gone insane. "I'll let her know you were concerned. These are new," he was obviously unconcerned about Pam's reaction and much more interested in my new underwear. As he slid a finger into the leg of the lacey boy shorts he commented, "I like them."

I might have moaned in response. He slid up my body pulling the shirt over my head as he went. "Oh, it matches, lovely." And then reaching both hands into my bra he pulled my breasts from the demi-cups. Not that they needed much help they were all but busting out anyway. "Beautiful," he murmured.

He reached down toward the underwear and a coherent thought managed to surface in my head, "No ripping. I like these."

"Would I rip," he chuckled into my stomach, but he did take the time to slide the underwear down my leg. It was the last coherent thought I would have for at least an hour.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone that has read and reviewed!! Also, want to apologize for some of the typos I noticed today! I don't have a beta, all the mistakes are mine and I'll try to be more careful in the future. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Just having some fun.**

We lay on the couch happy, peaceful and relaxed. Eric ran a fang idly along my hip and licked up the small trail of blood that it left. I watched him amazed at how much I had forgotten about the blood bond. We had spent so much time in physical proximity to one another during the last three years that I had forgotten the actual physical discomfort of being separated from him and the amazing elation of being reunited.

People were after us. We had nowhere to live. But I could have stayed on that couch for the rest of my life, especially if Pam would agree to bring me food every once in awhile. I was getting kind of hungry.

Eric rested his chin on my hip and looked up at me. "I do not wish to rest apart from you again."

"No," I answered staring into his eyes. "I don't wish that either."

He gave a slight nod but really no other indication that he heard me. "Did you see any houses that you liked?"

I guess the lovey-dovey portion of the evening was over. I tried not to sigh that seemed a little pathetic. "I picked three that I thought would work. I made an appointment for tomorrow night for you to see them. Do you want me to get the printouts? They're in my bag." I made kind of a lazy gesture toward my bag, which was…oh there it was…by the door.

He grabbed my hips and pulled me down lower on the sofa pinning me beneath him. "Not yet," he growled.

Excellent, the lovey-dovey portion of the evening was not yet over! Or at least that was what I thought until Pam cracked open the door to the office and slid inside. "de Castro's limo just pulled up out front."

With the vampiric speed that still made me dizzy Eric and Pam seemed to be everywhere all at once. Eric dropped my shirt over my head. He didn't bother with the bra simply stuffing it between the cushions of the couch. Apparently, we were going for coverage not actual dressing. Pam was on her knees searching beneath the couch for my underwear. Once I had those on, Eric stood and pulled on his jeans and t-shirt. His head had just emerged from the top of the t-shirt as de Castro strode into the office. It was an awkward moment for Pam who had been retrieving my jeans from their spot on the floor, which unfortunately happed to be at his feet. She dropped into a bow still holding them. De Castro plucked them from her hands and smiled. "Miss Stackhouse," he purred. "These must be yours. You seem to be the only person in the room without pants."

Eric was also bowing so I couldn't see his face, but I could feel his irritation bubbling at the back of the bond. For some reason it crossed my mind that Bill might think that turnabout was fair play as de Castro's comment was pretty similar to the kind of thing Eric might have said when he first met me and I was dating Bill, but whatever. Apparently, being sexually harassed by vampires was just part of my life.

"Thank you, your majesty," I said in what I hoped was a reverent voice and bowed.

He smiled. "Well, she has become much more tame since you took her away," Felipe commented to Eric. "I wonder what you did to make her so."

Fortunately, it didn't seem to require an answer because Eric didn't seem to have one, all I could get from his head was a real clear picture of him cutting Felipe's head off with one of the tiny knives they kept behind the bar for cutting limes and stuff. I didn't think that was going to solve anything, but appreciated the gallantry even if it was super gross.

Felipe continued without waiting for Eric's answer as to how he had tamed me. "I require your presence this night," he said to Eric. "And your women as well."

I exchanged a quick glance with Pam and it was clear that neither of us thought to highly of being referred to as Eric's women. Eric nodded, but did not ask why. Felipe handed him an invitation. "We shall travel together. Your woman and child will need another car."

Eric was looking down at the invitation with absolutely no expression at all.

"I will require several humans – female," Felipe stipulated. Eric nodded again. "You are welcome to pick one up for yourself as well."

I stiffened slightly. Excuse me? Did the king just actually suggest that my fiancée should pick up a fangbanger for himself since he was picking up a bunch for the king? In front of me? Apparently, they did things a little differently in Las Vegas and I was about to open my mouth and point that out to his royal-jackassness when I saw Eric eyeing me with what I could only describe as concern.

The tongue-lashing I'd been about to give Mr. De Castro died on my lips. I was just going to have to accept that Nevada clearly did not have the same caliber of undead that we had here in Louisiana. Obviously, Las Vegas attracted only the poorly brought up vampire. I hated this guy. But fortunately didn't have to tolerate him anymore because once his instructions were issued, Felipe turned on his heel and left without even a good-bye.

Eric looked down at the invitation once again and said to me, "It seems your friend Alcide is getting married tonight."

Huh, who knew? The first thought I had was that we were probably kind of late. I mean even night weddings were usually underway by 7:30 or so. But I didn't say that because well, after all these years of hanging out with vamps I've finally learned that there was probably more to the story. There always was.

Eric was moving around his desk getting ready to make phone calls. "Pam," he said. She nodded and prepared to shuffle me out the door.

No way. I cleared my throat and looked at Eric significantly. He returned my stare and finally smiled. "This is not the actual wedding," he explained. "That already happened. This is the Were ceremony. It takes place at midnight. A reception will follow. It is formal. You need to dress. Pam will take you to get something."

I mentally went through the dresses I had already purchased. I had a formal dress. I'd worn it in New Orleans. I opened my mouth to protest about wasting yet more money on clothes when Eric said, "His Majesty has already seen you in that dress. You will need something new."

"I don't dress to please Felipe deCastro," I snapped. "Besides, won't the two of you be busy hanging out with a bunch of fangbangers! Who'll notice what I wear?"

Eric's eyes burned into me with a good amount of amusement, but I knew he wouldn't laugh. Not right now anyway, later when we were alone, he'd laugh about that comment quite a bit. "No, lover, obviously you do not dress to please his majesty but would you consider doing it to please me?"

And he kept looking at me. I knew I wasn't glamoured, but I still felt an overwhelming urge to please him quite a bit. Maybe it was the fangbangers, but I felt crazy possessive. Like I wanted to tattoo my name across his forehead or maybe somewhere a lot lower.

I leaned over the desk giving him quite a look at the bra-less cleavage he'd just been enjoying. "You don't want to come with?" I asked.

He looked down my shirt as I'd intended and without taking his eyes off his favorite part of my anatomy replied, "I would love to, but as I do not believe that you or I have been invited by anyone other than his Majesty and I doubt he has bothered to respond at all, I find myself quite busy with security arrangements. Not to mention procurement." He spat the last part. Well, it figured he was pissed. I couldn't really see Eric enjoying the role of pimp. And honestly, de Castro was a good-looking guy; he needed Eric to find him women? I guess he was just too lazy.

Eric looked at me for a moment and then said sourly to Pam, "He probably wants blondes right?"

She looked at me too and replied, "Buxom ones."

Pam flipped impatiently through the dresses at Neiman Marcus while I lounged in a chair. I didn't see the point in both of us looking since I knew Pam would veto anything I picked.

"What are you wearing Pam?"

She did not look up from her dress quest or turn to me to talk about herself the way a human friend might – you had to love the focus on vampires. "Ice blue," she replied. "My shoes are truly fabulous, they look as if they were crusted with diamonds. And I have a lovely diamond necklace to match."

"Nice," I responded. It would match Pam's eye color beautifully.

"Yes," she said, no false modesty for Pam. "Eric bought me the necklace as a consolation for no longer being Sheriff. There was no need of course."

Of course, I thought.

"Eric is my master and if he chooses to take my job away, then I give it to him gladly. Especially if the job is as tedious as that one."

I had really missed Pam.

"So you really weren't mad?" I asked. "I won't tell."

Pam arched an eyebrow at me in a look that was so annoyingly familiar I felt a strong desire to smack her. I didn't have anything to compare it to, but I imagined this is what being real close to your sister-in-law might be like, occasionally, she would do things that would remind you so much of an irritating habit of your husband's that you'd want to kill her.

'Of course you would tell," she was clearly laughing at me even though I couldn't see her face. "All Eric would need to do is find the proper motivation and you would sing like a canary." Pam really enjoyed idioms.

"And from everything we heard in bar tonight, he knows how to properly motivate you. Honestly, Sookie, I'm going to send you the bill for having that couch cleaned. I had to tell the DJ to turn up the music twice. And no one was buying drinks."

Of course for Pam, it was all about the bottom line. "Well, maybe it will be good for business," I snapped back without thinking. "Maybe you should up tomorrow night's cover in case they come back hoping for more."

This time she did look at me. "That is an excellent idea," she said as if I had just made a suggestion about the kind of cocktail stirrers they used. "I wonder how we can promote it."

I felt my mouth go dry. You weren't going to out "inappropriate" a vampire. They were just way too good at inappropriate remarks. You'd think I'd learn that.

"I found it," Pam crowed a minute later startling me. "It's perfect!"

She held it up for my inspection. I shrugged because I didn't see anything great about it. In fact I thought it was surprisingly conservative, sleeveless black silk with a boat neck. It looked like it would drop down right below the knee. And then she turned it around and I gulped. There was no back on that dress. The fabric just kind of pooled at the small of the back. I must have looked skeptical because she thrust it at me and said, "Trust me Sookie. I'm calling the florist right now to get an orchid for your hair."

Was she serious?

Apparently, she was serious because ninety minutes later I was standing in Pam's spare bedroom being told that in two minutes I could look. When Pam finally pivoted me toward the mirror I could hardly believe that the sleek creature looking back was actually me. My hair, which felt like it had been ripped out by the roots, was actually still attached to my head and had been smoothed into a knot at the nape of my neck. The flower that I had been so uncertain of was pinned next to the knot. The dress hugged every inch of my body down to the knee. I was wearing impossibly high heels. My pearls and some red lipstick and hell, I was sex on a stick and that was before you even saw the non-existent back. And not only that, but I was classy looking. I belonged in New York or Paris, not Shreveport. I think for the first time ever I thought I looked like the fiancée of a thousand year old vampire. So it was sort of odd that I didn't think Eric was going to like it that much.

"Pam," I breathed when I finally found my voice. "Are you sure about this outfit?"

I didn't want to offend her because I looked hot and if she'd been dressing me up like her own personal Barbie for fun, great, but this was an attention getting outfit and we were heading to a party that would be filled with Supes.

Pam was depositing items into her evening bag – lipstick, cell phone, credit card, tiny dagger that she concealed in the lining. "What do you mean? You are perfect."

"Well, I don't know how Eric is going to feel about it. It's sort of an attention grabber. I mean I kind of look like I'm trying to attract…well…everyone."

Pam smiled. "Sookie, you look delectable. And I'm sure you will attract everyone. If he doesn't like it then he's being a child. And he is not a child."

I swung back toward the mirror remembering how pissed he got about my dancing in Rhodes. Maybe Pam didn't remember that, but as I remembered it Eric didn't really love me "flaunting my assets." And this dress, it more broadcasted than flaunted.

"Don't you think that me making a spectacle of myself is kind of a bad idea right now?" Truthfully, I was proud of how good I looked, but the idea of attracting anymore of Felipe's already unwanted attention made me sort of nervous.

Pam made a face that I had seen on parents whose kids keep asking why, as if she was silently praying for patience. "The sooner we 'suss out' the bad guy and get to the fighting portion of this whole thing, the sooner you and Eric can settle down and purchase some small yappy dogs or whatever it is you plan on doing once you are no longer running from people that want to kill you."

I opened my mouth and closed it again unable to determine which part of that speech I wanted to address first the fact that she'd made little quote marks with her hands when she'd said "suss out" or the fact that she felt that dressing me up like fashion plate Barbie was going to help achieve our goal. Instead I said, "I don't want dogs." And picked up my own evening bag ready to head out the door.

"Fine then," Pam replied as if she had never heard anything less interesting in her entire life. "Give me the keys."

I looked at the keys that I had picked up with my evening bag and narrowed my eyes for a moment. I'd driven to the store and here. And I didn't know how Eric would feel about her driving his car. "I don't know Pam. Eric and his car…"

"You will be safer if I drive," she replied. "Besides, at the rate you drive I thought I was going to have to stake myself out of boredom before we arrived at the store."

Okay, I was a little offended. Sure I didn't rocket through the city like I was Danica Patrick, but I was a perfectly safe driver.

"I am vampire," she said coolly. "My reflexes are far superior, so of course I am a better driver."

"But you've never driven this car before and I'm Eric's fiancée," I said reasonably. I'd never ridden with Pam before but had a bad feeling about it.

"And I have known Eric for several centuries," she shot back and snatched the keys from my hand. As we pulled out of the driveway I thought I was going to pee in my pants. Pam drove about three times faster than Eric.

I thought Pam might have lost her marbles when we pulled up to an old warehouse by the docks. But there were other people in formal attire walking up a set of steps to an upper level so I guess this really was the spot.

"Pam, what happens at one of these things anyway?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's vile. They transform and consummate the relationship. It's an ancient ritual. It occurs the first full moon after the human wedding. I would imagine that it's symbolic these days and they have already had sex. In my day, of course, we really did go to the altar as virgins. Although who knows perhaps they waited in wolf form until now."

That might have been a little more information than I actually wanted. She got out of the car and continued, "Of course before all of this 'we are the world' supernatural unity, vampires would never have been asked to attend such a ceremony. And now we are honored by the privilege of watching a business acquaintance turn into a large wolf and fuck his wolf wife. Lovely."

Lovely indeed. I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I make this up?" she asked. "As if I did not have better things to do with my evening. Vampires would never make such a spectacle."

I figured that was true with all their issues about possessiveness they would never tolerate a true mate naked in front of others of their kind like that. I mean it was one thing for a fangbanger, but not an actual spouse. But Weres were different.

Pam was looking at me with a smile that gave me the chills. "You know," she said. "As I think on it. We've done nothing to celebrate your engagement and pledging." I didn't like the look in her eye at all. "Perhaps, you and Eric could have sex on the stage to celebrate. I could move that couch you like so much up there. Think what the vermin would pay to watch."

I just looked at her in disbelief. "Do I even need to say no?"

She burst out laughing and followed me up the stairs teasing, "Can I tell Eric you said yes? Just to see his face?"

"No!" I shrieked at her. Pam chuckled all the way inside.


	12. Chapter 12

Inside, the warehouse looked like something from another world. There were flowers and banners. It was beautiful. It kind of made me wonder what my own wedding would be like until I cut that line of thinking off. I just don't like to go down the wedding road – not even in my head, not even for a second. I mean, what girl hasn't imagined herself in a beautiful white dress gliding down the aisle. I'd always pictured my wedding outdoors in the sunshine. And I had never pictured half of my guests – hell probably more after all, there'd be a lot more people interested in attending Eric Northman's wedding than Sookie Stackhouse's – drinking blood. So I just wasn't going to go there. I was probably the only girl in America sporting a diamond that gave her a hand cramp to wear that had never once even glanced at a bridal magazine. I could live with the wedding not being everything that I pictured, after all, I was getting the guy I wanted, but as of this moment I wasn't even allowed to have a wedding anywhere in the United States. And even if I was, I had a hard time picturing Eric wanting much of a wedding. He didn't seem the big wedding type. Not that we'd discussed it. I was adopting the Scarlett O'Hara approach and thinking about the wedding tomorrow.

Pam was leading me to an upper level of the warehouse. Pack members seemed to be down below with the rest of the Supernatural community up above – other vampires, Weres from visiting packs, my cousin Claude. He waved in my direction, but didn't come over. That was okay with me. I'd always been big on family, but my fairy family, well, I was feeling kind of okay with not having contact with them. I'd been safer when I was just involved with vampires.

I was leaning over to make a comment to Pam about the flowers when I saw Eric enter behind Felipe de Castro and four supermodels. How the hell had he found four girls that good looking in two hours? Thalia and the new vamp I'd seen at the bar were trailing along behind Eric – extra muscle I guess. I started to raise my hand to wave when Pam caught it and brought it down by my side almost like we were holding hands. "Sookie," she hissed. "You can't wave."

I looked at her and she rolled her eyes at me. "It isn't high school Sookie. He's a vampire. You share a blood bond. He knows you're here."

I blushed in embarrassment although I was sort of annoyed that I felt embarrassed. How was I supposed to know all their weird etiquette? "Oh don't blush," she sighed. "It ruins all the work I put in making you look sophisticated. It kills the whole appearance. I worked so hard to make you look like one of them," she flipped her hand carelessly toward the supermodels. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing to get worked up over – and you run around blushing. How anyone could make that dress look innocent is beyond me!"

I looked at Pam for a moment trying to understand and then somewhat like a dimwitted child said slowly, "Wait, you want me to look like one of them, so I won't stand out?"

Pam just looked exasperated. "What did Eric call you ages ago? A candle in coal mine? You're innocent look just makes you more appealing and if they knew about your bloodlines…Your telepathy makes you a prize anyway, but the packaging makes it that much better. I'm just trying to make the packaging standout less."

I really wanted to hug Pam in that moment, but I figured that was right up there with waving so I just kind of nodded at her.

"Would you like a drink?" Pam asked me.

"Why Pam are we on a date?" I laughed.

"Oh Sookie, how I wish!" And then in a considerably more serious tone she went on, "You must not move from this spot by the railing. I will be able to see you from the bar. Thalia can also see you." I swung around to see that Thalia on the other side of the room was trailing behind Eric watching me much more closely than she was watching the king. Apparently, Thalia only appeared to be de Castro's bodyguard and in actuality she was mine. I didn't really feel safer.

"Do not move," Pam repeated. "I will get you a gin and tonic."

I nodded and took to people watching. Okay, I wasn't watching people. I was watching Eric. I watched him stand around behind the king looking bored. Occasionally, de Castro would bring Eric into the conversation, but mostly not. One of the supermodels kept trying to talk to him, but he must have said something pretty nasty to her because I saw her say something and he replied then she glared at him before flouncing back to her fellow beauties. After that little exchange, I noticed he glanced my way with just a hint of a smile before returning his attention to the task at hand.

I really wanted to wave. I really wanted to go stand next to him. I was caught up in thinking about all the ways I could make this rotten night up to him, make him feel better about having a crappy boss so I didn't hear trouble coming up behind me. And that's why I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a familiar voice growl, "Babe."

I shot around to stare into large purple eyes. John Quinn was standing less than a foot away from me.

"I heard you were back," he said. "You look…wow, you look incredible."

I felt an urge to run. I felt an extreme annoyance that the line was so long at the bar – where the hell was Pam? Wasn't this the whole plus side of having a bodyguard? No awkward confrontations with the ex that had really hurt your feelings the last time you talked to him!

Finally, I found my voice. "What are you doing here?" Great Sookie, smooth.

He snorted, "You mean like how did I get in here? You have been away awhile. Things changed after you bolted Babe. I worked with de Castro, got my territory back. He knew me."

I remembered Quinn outside of my house with people that wanted to kill me and snarled at him, "Yes, I remember that you knew him." I spend a lot of time with people that snarl so I don't tend to do it because it isn't impressive in comparison, but I have no doubt that he knew just how angry at him I still was.

He ignored my comment. "Listen, can we get together tomorrow? Maybe lunch?"

I was impressed. Really, that took guts, to ask a woman to lunch that had just pointed out that you'd once been involved in a plot to kill her or at least people she cared about.

"Why? You want to tell me again how Eric would never give up his little piece of Louisiana for me?" I'd been waiting to say that for a little over three years. I was glad I'd gotten to work it in.

But Quinn didn't seem impressed, "Brought you back didn't he. And by his standards you weren't even really gone long – he's what like a thousand? So three years to him is like what, about a month?"

Ouch. You had to give it to Quinn – he knew how to hurt a girl. "Is that how you convince women to have lunch with you? Insult them?"

He smiled, same white even teeth. "Yeah, as far as wooing goes, I suppose it pales in comparison to diamond rings and Mercedes." He was well informed that was for certain.

"Mostly, it just pales in comparison to politeness," I said coldly. And that was when Pam finally, blessedly, arrived with the drinks.

"Tiger," she growled. "Move along."

He didn't look at her. "You won't start anything here. You'd embarrass your boss." I wondered if he meant Eric or de Castro. Pam didn't shed any light on the issue because she said nothing and thrust a drink at me with a glare.

Quinn, however, must have been a little more uncomfortable than he was willing to admit because his tone changed and he said, "Sookie, c'mon. There's some stuff I want to talk to you about."

"Tell me now," I replied coldly.

"Not the place. I'll meet you any place you feel comfortable. How about Merlotte's?" And then I guess sensing that I wasn't going to give in even at a comfortable location he said, "I have information about the Were that was killed."

Well, that sealed the deal for me. As Pam had reminded me earlier, the sooner we dealt with it the sooner we could just settle down and just be home. I nodded to him. "Fine then. Merlotte's at 1pm."

He leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I heard Pam's growl and I felt Eric's indignation through the bond. Quinn, however, smiled triumphantly and rocked back on his heels a little before sauntering off.

Pam sipped on her blood and glared at me. "You are going to get me in so much trouble. Can you not stop attracting men? Honestly!"

"Sorry I'm such a bother," I laughed.

"You don't even know," she snapped back. "I've already been subjected to anger, introspection and uncertainty because of that damn cat and now I will have to listen to it all over again. You better be home tomorrow well before he rises. If I'm snapped at once because of you or forced to listen to anything that remotely resembles whining, I will find a way to punish you. I don't know what, but you will not like it."

I snorted in laughter and then stopped suddenly. "You don't have to tell him about lunch you know." I could probably have justified that six ways from Sunday, but I really just didn't want Eric to know about lunch with Quinn.

Pam looked me right in the eye looking a little happier than she had a moment before. "I am not going to have to tell him Sookie. You are going to tell him."

I glanced over at Eric and saw him looking at me, hard. Yup, that was going to be fun. Pam was chuckling now seemingly delighted at the prospect that all of my attractiveness to Weres was going to come down on my head, not hers.

I awoke around four in the morning to a tinkling sound that I was somehow able to identify as studs being dropped into a little crystal bowl. Odd because I've never spent much time around men in tuxedos, but I go to the movies a lot and I guess it's a distinctive sound. Or maybe I'd just been imagining Eric getting undressed so vividly in my dreams that I knew what it would sound like.

Pam's guest room was ridiculously feminine with floral sheets, crystal bowls and silk flower arrangements on the dresser. I rolled onto my back and said into the darkness, "You can turn on the light if you want."

"There is no need," replied the low rumbling voice I'd been waiting to hear for almost an hour. I felt the bed depress beside me and I scooted closer to snuggle into him. Surprisingly, I met with clothing. Eric had unbuttoned his tux shirt and removed his shoes and socks, but was still wearing the shirt and the pants. I lay my head on his bare chest and said quietly, "Long night."

I felt him inhale the scent of my hair and breath out, "Exceedingly long." And then after a pause, "You looked beautiful. I never had the chance to tell you. Beautiful although not much like you."

"Well, you know Pam," I laughed. "You know you looked pretty beautiful there yourself."

I felt him smile against the top of my head, "Yes, I do. It was excellent thinking. I don't think I've ever seen you blend in before." He didn't address the issue of his own beauty. After the last several years I still didn't know if he never really responded to me about that because he took it for granted that he was beautiful, thought it was strange for a man to be called beautiful or just didn't care whether he was or wasn't.

I turned my face up toward his, "You thought I looked like the other women there?" I was a little put out. It isn't really the kind of thing you want to hear from your fiancée. "Not to me," he laughed rolling me over onto my back and kissing me lightly. He didn't continue his efforts but lay on his side with an arm draped over me rubbing my back lightly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked. "The night."

"Not really," he replied. And then his tone changed, almost teasing but with a little edge, "Is there anything you would like to talk to me about?"

I raised myself up onto my elbow. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I could see him looking at me intently. "So you know, huh?"

He chuckled, "Woman, I know many, many things…which one are you referring to?"

I smacked him playfully on the shoulder and sighed, "Okay, let's get this over with. I'm meeting Quinn for lunch tomorrow."

"Just to catch up, then?" He asked in the fake casual voice that I was really starting to detest. But oddly, when I looked at him I didn't feel so irritated by it. I could tell that he had been jarred by the last couple of days and could probably use some reassurance something that he would never, ever ask for. I had a feeling that some soft words from me would be very, very welcome and I didn't mind giving them in the least. "The last time I saw Quinn, he said things to me that really cut me deep. If I never saw him again, I'd be okay with that. But, he says he has information and I thought that could help us. If you don't want me to go, I won't. What you think matters. Quinn doesn't."

He seemed to be chewing this over for a moment and then said, "Would you like for me to arrange for daytime protection?"

I shook my head, "We're meeting at Merlotte's. I'll be okay."

He stroked my hair. "Don't go anywhere alone with him." He hated this idea. I could tell. He wanted the information, but didn't want me to be the one to get it and didn't want it to be Quinn giving it. And he hated that this was a weakness in him. I was a weakness, his weakness.

"I can do this," I said emphatically. "But if you're worried, I'll call Jason and ask him to meet me too."

He snorted at that and replied, "Yes, call Jason, perhaps he will do something useful like bring Cal Norris with him."

I reached up and smoothed the worried line that had formed between his eyebrows. "I'm sure there's no need. If you want Cal there you'll just call him anyway. You take care of me and I love you for it."

He kissed my forehead. "I try to take care of you," he clarified. "You make it a challenge."

"Well, you've been hanging around this world for a long time. I'm just trying to keep it interesting for you."

He laughed softly and rose from the bed. "I have some phone calls to make dear one." He kissed me again and left the bedroom. I felt a little disappointed that after all of Pam's hard work and my eager anticipation nothing had really come of it.

I got to Merlotte's really early. More like noon than 1pm. I'd had a busy morning so far. It had taken me forever to select an outfit. I'd finally taken a leaf out of Pam's book and gone with a twin set and slacks. I figured it portrayed soccer mom. Church-going soccer mom that was simply going to get some information for her undead husband from a Were-tiger that would like to rip said undead husband to shreds…my life was not normal. Maybe the soccer mom look was a little much, but I was trying to send a message and the message was, not interested.

After selecting my outfit, I'd driven up to Bon Temps to meet with several construction crews about rebuilding the house as well as my insurance agent. I'd barely been able to talk to Eric about rebuilding things had been so crazy since the bomb went off, but figured estimates would be helpful no matter what our decision was about my house.

After that, I'd gone to my brother's and retrieved a shotgun that I was going to ask Sam to keep behind the bar. Quinn was a tiger. I wouldn't have stood much of a chance against him in his human form, but a shotgun stops most things. Or at least slows them down.

I'd also called Cal Norris. And he said that Eric had already emailed him and he planned on stopping in for lunch. Not that he held with vampires generally, but Eric was a good sheriff and my man, so it was no problem to check in on me while he ate lunch.

At the appointed hour I was sitting in a booth at Merlotte's casting nervous glances at my watch every five minutes wishing it was dark and that I wasn't here and that Eric could be around in the day every once in awhile. I used to feel safe during the day because vampires couldn't come out. Now, I just felt vulnerable.

Quinn slide into the booth and smiled at me. There wasn't really much to say in the way of small talk so we ordered. I had a Coke and Quinn just water. Neither of us seemed really certain how to begin so we were just staring at each other.

I don't know what Quinn saw, but I saw a man that had had a hard three years. His hands shook slightly. His eyes were wary almost haunted and when he smiled it was only with his mouth, almost out of habit, not like he was actually happy.

He saw something different in me because when he spoke he said, "You look better than I've ever seen you. You look like you spent three years at a spa." There was wonder in his voice.

"What did you think I was going to come back looking like?" I asked and pulled out of his head clearly that he didn't think I was going to come back at all. He thought Eric would grow tired of his telepathic toy and kill me.

I didn't think this was very fair. He didn't know much about Eric. If he had, he would realize that a vampire that bothers to get his human employees health insurance isn't just going to kill me because he's bored. Actually, now that I thought about it, I had never seen Eric be unnecessarily cruel to anyone – well, unless you counted Bill.

"I don't know. I guess I thought you'd come back looking like one of those vampire junkies that flock around your boyfriend like flies around shit."

I had so many issues with this statement that I hardly knew where to begin. I was actually angry that what came out of my mouth was, "Lord Almighty, Quinn, what happened to you?" Clearly, my grandmother's ghost had momentarily taken over my body because I hadn't thought anything nearly that nice or sympathetic.

And it hung there between us for a while. My pity. His anger. Then he mumbled, "Fucking vampires."

I just arched an eyebrow at him. I could see why Eric did this so often. It was extremely expressive without actually saying anything at all. And, it could generally be left up to the person to determine what the heck you meant. Which told you a lot without having to worry about finding the appropriate question. It was an extremely useful facial expression.

"They swore to me that if I helped them, you'd be free. Eric was loyal to Sophie-Anne. He'd be gone and you'd be free."

I continued to sit silently looking at him. He wasn't telling me anything about the Were that had been killed, but he was telling me a lot I didn't know. And his eyes were burning like a preacher at a tent revival; I wasn't going to interrupt him.

"I knew that if I could get you free, I could make you understand why I had to do what I did."

I reached across the table and put my hand over his, "I understood Quinn. I just couldn't live with it."

"Because of him," he snapped at me. "If he was gone, you'd feel differently. You'd be free and you'd see that it was just the blood that made you feel like it was a betrayal. Really I was saving you."

He was clutching at my hand now and I was sorry I'd made the gesture. "But what happened then Quinn?"

He snorted. "Well, you know what happened then. Eric didn't fucking die. He wormed his way right into the new structure. And they don't love him, but they stick together. Vampires first. Weres way after that. Sure, they made me a promise, but their promises to Eric were way more important. I've killed a lot of things and I'll give you he is one hard fucker to kill."

Well, I'd had my own experiences with vampires and knew he was speaking true. They probably did tell him that if the blood bond were broken I'd go back to him. But then when they decided to keep Eric, they weren't going to piss him off by having Quinn around. Eric wanted him gone and gone he was. Vampires were practical above all.

"So with your area gone and Frannie having helped us…"

"I was back in the pits on and off. Doing some jobs for de Castro on and off in Vegas. But, then Eric took you. In a way Sookie, it saved my life. I guess I ought to thank him, but I don't."

"Once we were gone, they let you go?"

"They let me have my old life back, but I still have to do things for them every now and again. I guess once you were gone they didn't really care what I did as long as I wasn't pissing off a good earner by existing."

We stared at each other. The food arrived. And my heart broke a little for Quinn. I understood his pain. He was born with something in him that made him apart from human, but he still was human. He'd been raised as human. He wanted human things. But he wasn't human. He was something else. He always had been and there would never be a normal human life for him. This was my life too.

"Quinn, how'd you know the man who died?"

He looked at me and then looked down at his food. "That's why you're here then, isn't it?"

I ground my teeth together and looked at him for a long moment thinking about the best answer. The answer that would get me the most information. I decided on the truth. "That's why I'm here."

He brought a big hand up to his head and rubbed it thoughtfully. "I guess maybe I still hoped that you wanted to get away. At least a part of you."

I looked him right in the eye and said clearly so there was no misunderstanding. "The last three years have been the happiest of my life. I don't want to get away."

He nodded once and began to tell his story.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! I really appreciate the comments, they keep me going! Two things: first, this chapter and the next have been written for awhile, but as I was writing them I had to check something against Dead and Gone and after I did that I found my characters were acting up behaving like they did in D&G which wasn't what I wanted so I needed to re-write. Also, when I checked that I discovered that apparently marriage between a vampire and human is legal, but no details were given so for the purposes of this story, let's assume that its legal someplaces (like probably VT, go VT), but not yet legal in LA. Sorry for the discrepancy!**_

_**Now on with the story...in which none of the characters belong to me.**_

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I strode into Fangtasia so pleased with myself I thought I might be glowing. I had gotten some excellent information. I had tracked down a lead. And I had a plan! And I hadn't even used telepathy…much. And although there might be some that would argue that using my feminine charms – not like that, more like a smile and a nod with batting eyelashes and appropriate cooing sounds – is just as underhanded, I didn't see it that way myself.

Quinn hadn't been lying. He knew the Were that was killed – Joseph. They'd belonged to the same support group. It had taken a lot not to snort my soda out of my nose when he'd told me that. The group was for Supes that were unhappy with their supe-ness. Actually, it would have been a good place for me before I'd left town and gotten my head on right.

These people met once a week to discuss how to live more human lives and, how to live with the supernatural parts of themselves that they could not get rid of. All of them hated this part of their lives and wished they could live as fully human.

Joseph had been new to the group. He had only come because he had changed in front of his teenage son in a moment of anger. His son did not carry the gene and would never shift. The son was horrified and Joseph had been equally horrified that he had not controlled himself. It had led him to seek help. He wanted to determine if there was a way to abjure his Were heritage. When he had stopped coming to the meetings so soon after starting, everyone assumed that they weren't helping him or he wasn't ready yet.

But then, he had turned up dead – well, not turned up, he'd been executed on the Internet. Quinn said he didn't think a lot of the people in the group remembered Joseph, but Quinn had liked him, talked to him a couple of times, gone for coffee with him once after a meeting. He'd recognized him on the Internet that night. And realized he must have been taken shortly after he came to the last meeting, if not actually leaving the meeting.

So here was my plan: I would go to the meetings and see what I could find out. Ok, it wasn't really a fully blown plan with maps and action points, but still I thought it was good and I was more of a shoot from the hip person anyway.

I'd already told Quinn I thought the meetings sounded like a real good idea. After all, from everything he remembered I hated my telepathy. And in truth, I still wasn't so crazy about it. But I spent so much time with vampires now it was like I hardly even had it some time. Plus, I guess after the whole blood bond issue, my control had gotten amazing so that really helped. And then I guess lastly, I'd had bigger problems than telepathy for the last couple of months that I'd lived here. Surely, the supernatural world was going to throw something new at me soon.

But Quinn couldn't see in my head. All he knew was that telepathy made me miserable. Vampires had used me and tried to kill me. And he could see from the scars on my legs that someone at least had bitten the heck out of me – but I think he thought it was Eric.

In fact, I realized as we spoke that Quinn thought Eric might have finally succeeded in glamouring me and that's why I thought I was happy. Well, that might offend me, but it suited my purpose too. Quinn would be more helpful if he thought maybe he had a shot and maybe I'd become a little hard hearted over the years, but I hadn't seen him crying over my hurt feelings when he was helping the vampires of Nevada.

He handed me a card with the name of the group and the phone number and said I should come with him. It had helped him live with everything he'd done. It could help me too.

Damn straight it could help me! It could help me figure out who was killing Supes and get Felipe de Castro and Victor Madden to go on home. I'd nodded, taken the card and asked when the next meeting was.

I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I just realized that I'd made it all the way back to Eric's office without a single person trying to stop me. Either they all knew who I was now or the staff here was really slipping.

I knocked and waited to hear, "Enter Sookie," before walking in. Now all I needed to do was relay this information to Eric, get his undoubted edits to my plan and go look at some houses.

Eric sat behind his desk leaning slightly forward in the chair while Pam sat perched on one of the guest chairs. She looked a little anxious, but Eric's greeting was so jovial I figured it was no big deal. "Lover, how was lunch with the Tiger?"

I sat down in the other guest chair. "Real interesting. Did you just get here?"

I had actually gone to Pam's first thinking that they wouldn't have left yet. Dark had only just fallen. I had lost time in Bon Temps chatting with Amelia and then stopping by Tara's store. Her toddler had been there and that was where I had really lost track of time.

He nodded but didn't give any explanation for the rush to get to Fangtasia. I shrugged, "You still want to look at those houses?"

His gaze flicked to Pam and now I have to say I was getting a little uneasy. Obviously, there was something going on that I was out of the loop on in a big way. "I'd prefer to hear about your lunch first and then make a decision," he said. Fine by me and I launched into my story and plan.

When Eric heard "the plan" he raised an eyebrow at me and looked significantly at Pam who stood up and bolted out of the office like someone had told her they were giving away Birkin bags down the street.

"I don't like to send you to this meeting alone," he said his voice calm. Now that Pam was gone I stood up from my chair and crossed in front of him to sit on the desk placing my feet between his thighs on his chair. The difference in our heights brought us just about to eye level.

"Well, it would have to be a Were or a shifter to come with me although I was thinking maybe a witch…it's not like these meetings happen at night or a vampire can vow to abjure their supe-side…you know, not having a human side. Besides, this is my plan…you aren't sending me anywhere so you don't need to feel bad about it."

He cocked an eyebrow at me again. This time I'm pretty certain it was with annoyance. I continued on, "But with me, I mean I can do that easy – say I want to abjure my 'supe-ness.' And I've been pretty vocal about not loving life with my gift, so it would be pretty believable."

He leered at me, apparently the annoyance was forgotten or at least secondary to anything else he might be feeling, "I love your gifts…all of them" and tried to look down my shirt. Geez, Eric, focus.

I rolled my eyes at him and swatted him playfully on the shoulder, which was fortuitous (word of the day) because he winced. Well, not actually. He never moved or made a sound, but I guess with the bond, I felt him wince and then I felt him rein it in so quickly that he hoped I wouldn't notice it.

"Eric," I asked questioningly.

"I am fine," he smiled. "It's nothing to worry about dear one."

But I was already on my feet. "You said you were 'fine' last night too. I've never known you to be so 'fine.'" And then more slowly as if the light was dawning but I still couldn't quite see what was happening, "Last night when you didn't want to make love."

He had gone still and his eyes were watching me very closely. "When have I ever not wanted to make love," he teased, but it was only with his voice. His eyes were cautious. Oh yes, he was hiding something.

"But you didn't. And when have you ever not? When have I ever gone to bed feeling anything other than sated?"

He did not respond, except I felt how offended he was through the bond. "Using me for sex, lover?"

I ignored the comment and reached over a little cautiously to pull back the collar of his t-shirt. Peering down the neck I could see that his back was covered in gauze squares. And I mean covered…one gigantic gauze pad would have been more effective. Pam's handiwork I would imagine. "What happened to you?" I hissed.

He put an arm around my hips and pulled me closer inhaling the scent of my shirt as he rested his head against me. "It's fine Sookie," he sighed into me. "It will heal."

"That is not what I asked you," I ground out from between my teeth.

He leaned back a little to look up at me. "Punishment," he bit out obviously disgusted by the word. I couldn't say if it was the punishment or having to admit to it or not having killed the person that had hurt him that bothered him more. At first I thought his pride might be bothering him more than the actual wounds until I noticed how angrily a lot of the wounds were weeping. And these were almost twenty-hour hours old. They were healing slowly.

"Felipe did this to you," I guessed and then realization set in. "Because of me. Because you took me."

"He thought I might not have realized how angry he was considering I had regained my position so easily. He wanted to remind me who I owe my allegiance to. And not to take you without permission again."

I tried to pull away from him to get a better look at the wounds, but his arm tightened around me. Questions tumbled out of my mouth barely understandable in my effort to spit them all out, "How much pain are you in? How did he do this? Why isn't it healing?"

"He used a whip with silver barbs. Pam thinks they may have had some sort of poison or acid on them as well. Most of the cuts went down to the bone." He saw my face and began to reassure me, "It's healing, lover, just slowly."

I was going to drive a stake so far through Felipe's heart – maybe I wouldn't stop at one. I tried to remember from episodes of Buffy how she had caused the most pain, maybe I'd force him to drink silver in the episode it had been holy water but I knew that was a crock. I didn't know how I would accomplish that, but my grandmother had always told me a woman could do whatever she needed to. I needed Felipe dead. But that was later; I had other things to worry on right now.

I held out my wrist to Eric, but he shook his head. "You need blood," I said practically. "You have to be strong. You aren't going to get very strong on True Blood."

He sighed and shook his head again. "I am very weak Sookie. I worry I would take too much. The way your blood tastes for me, it would be hard to stop."

I found this information staggering. Eric was too weak to control himself. And then the fear hit me. Deep, scary fear. Eric had never been weak when I needed him. The idea was terrifying to me.

"You'll be fine. I trust you," I said convincingly. I think I was trying to convince myself because otherwise I was shoving my pulse points at a starving vampire and that would be stupid even for me. After all, the last time I'd confronted a hungry vampire – well, actually the last two times – it hadn't worked out too well for me.

But he shook his head. "Once I heal a little more," he replied. "Would you get me another bottle of True Blood?"

I turned on my heel and marched out of his office to find Pam. She was restocking the bar. This is normally something that would have happened prior to customers arriving, but I guess she had been too busy trying to get Eric's back not to look like hamburger meat to tell anyone to take care of it. And now she was moving through it with vampiric speed, I was assuming she wanted it finished before he came out and saw that it wasn't done. All that rage about being punished was going to need to go somewhere eventually, and Pam being a survivalist, didn't want it landing on her head.

I marched up to her and stood just a few inches away. She knew I was there, but didn't stop what she was doing. She thought I wanted to talk about why I hadn't been told. It wasn't that I read her mind, I just knew her pretty well. Finally, she turned to me and said, "Yes, Sookie, we should have told you." You could tell she was bored with all my dramatic whining and I figured I could understand that.

I waved my hand at her impatiently and replied, "Eric needs blood Pam. Real blood."

She looked at me for a moment, the thoughts were obviously swirling. "He's refused to take yours?"

I nodded and took a deep breath. I had known what I was going to say to her the second I walked out of the office, but now that it was about to come out of my mouth my courage was failing me a bit. Sometimes things are easier in your head like when you imagine telling someone off, but then when you get there it just doesn't happen. Well, it was time to be a big girl. So I took another breath and said about as fast as I could, "Eric needs donors."

She just stared at me. At first I thought maybe she hadn't understood me because I said it so fast, but then she smiled at me and replied, "I've always told Eric that if you would make a magnificent vampire. Personally, I think you might even be more ruthless than he is. But he says you don't want to be turned. You'd get used to it, you know. And you'd be brilliant."

I didn't really see what this had to do with what I had just told her, unless, you know it was the fact that even as a human I was already willing to feed other humans to my boyfriend. But, it wasn't like I was okay with him killing them. I mean that counted for something right? Maybe I hadn't made that clear. "You need to make sure he doesn't kill them. He'll be upset if he kills them," I said urgently.

She went back to stocking the bar. "He'll be upset if he kills them in front of you. Or if you're bothered by it you mean," she corrected. "I'll take care of it Sookie. And I'll make certain he doesn't kill any of them." She stopped stocking for a second and looked thoughtful. "You'll need to tell him it's alright. He won't believe me. Even then, I don't know if he'll do it. You may need to bleed on the donors."

Okay, now that was stretching the limits for me a little bit. I didn't know if I could do that. "I'll go tell him," I answered ignoring the bleeding on them thing and hoping that was Pam's idea of a joke.

I knocked lightly on the door of Eric's office and walked in. He watched me walk the short distance and accepted the True Blood I held out to him. "Pam's bringing you some willing donors," I said softly.

"Pam –" he snapped obviously starting some sort of reprimand, but I held up my hand for him to stop.

"It was my idea." His face went to that stony silence I used to get from him so often before we left Louisiana.

"I see," he replied in a way that told me that he didn't see at all. In fact, he was stunned.

I reached out and stroked his cheek. I didn't think I'd ever done this before outside of the bedroom.

"You don't see at all," I said softly. "I would do anything to keep you safe. If you need to drink real blood then that's what you'll get. Since you won't take mine, you need to take someone else's."

He looked at me for a long moment but his face was unreadable to me. "I'll wait for you in the bar," I finished. As I went out to the bar, Pam passed me. She had a line of about five people – men and women. I read them as they walked past. They were all just happy to help. They wanted to be close to Eric. They liked being bitten. After I had checked them all I just sat myself down on a barstool, nursed a gin and tonic and watched the door to Eric's office, waiting.

I didn't have to wait too long within thirty minutes Eric exited the office. He'd discarded his t-shirt, I had to assume it was just too nasty to continue to wear with the feeding and the healing and hadn't bothered to replace it with another.

In other words, Eric was striding toward me just in his jeans, no shirt, and the after-effects of his feeding could be seen clearly through the jeans, if you get my meaning. For a second, I thought he was going to walk right past me and I wondered if he was disgusted by the fact that I had gotten him donors – it didn't seem that likely, but I was kind of disgusted by it, so maybe – but then his arm snaked out and he caught me around the waist flipping me up onto his shoulder as though I weighed no more than a backpack. "What are you doing?" I shrieked pounding him ineffectually on his – now – very perfect back.

"Blood is not my only need lover," he purred at me or more correctly at my ass since my head was hanging halfway down his back. "We'll be gone for the night," he said to no one in particular.

Oh boy!


	14. Chapter 14

Eric lay stretched out on the bed watching me rifle through the closet in Pam's guest room. I'd finally conceded and taken my things out of the suitcases. Since we could never seem to actually meet with the realtor I supposed we were going to be living with Pam for awhile. It didn't seem to be bothering Eric particularly, which I thought was weird because I'd always been sort of under the impression that he valued his privacy. Well, whatever, I'd come to learn that Eric was really a take things as they come kind of guy. Not to say he didn't have a goal in mind, but he rolled with things.

Finally frustrated with my search for the perfect outfit to wear to s supernatural intervention he growled, "Just wear jeans and come back to bed."

I swung around to tell him that jeans were not always appropriate for every occasion and that turned out to be a big mistake because Pam's Laura Ashley top sheet was barely covering anything at all. He looked like he was posing for that damn calendar, although I doubt they would use a pink floral sheet as background. I felt my mouth go a little dry and tried to swallow as I swung back around to look in the closet again, "You did that on purpose," I mumbled into the closet.

He chuckled and rolled over onto his back – he was a beautiful, beautiful man and Lord help me, I loved it. "Why is the outfit so important again?" he asked the ceiling in a resigned voice.

I shrugged, "I've never been to a meeting like this – you know like a support group. I want to look like I fit in. I mean I'm going there to spy on them. I don't want to look obvious."

"Obvious?" he laughed. "You mean by showing everyone your telepathy rocks tattoo or wearing your I heart Vampires t-shirt."

I looked back at him and smiled, "Exactly. But just to be clear, I don't 'heart' vampires, I heart a vampire."

He rose from the bed and strode across the room in all his jaw dropping magnificence. Fortunately, it wasn't that big a room or I wouldn't have been able to contain the drool.

"Yes," he purred. "That Edward Cullen is the lucky one."

I rolled my eyes at him. The Twilight series, a group of historical romances aimed at teenage girls set in times before vampires had come out of the coffin, had caused a lot of problems with minors trying to get into Fangtasia. It was still an ongoing issue. Eric found these fictional vampires intensely irritating and enjoyed making fun of them whenever possible. It was sort of the same way he felt about Bill.

"Pfft," I laughed with him. "Why would I want some sparkly bunny eating vampire when I could have a bad ass Viking?"

"That is an excellent point, lover although I believe he ate mountain lions," he replied putting his arms around my waist and resting his chin on the top of my head as we both stared into my closet. There was a small pause as I thought of an avenue that this conversation could head down, mountain lion and tiger weren't too far apart, but I really didn't want it to take that direction.

"I can't believe you actually read those books," I laughed. It hadn't taken him long – Eric read way faster than I could ever hope to – but still it had been funny to see the books in his hand. I should have taken a picture, Pam would have loved it.

"Market research," he replied distractedly and then I heard him expel a large breath above me and say to himself, although obviously I could hear him, "This is such a bad idea."

Sparkly vampires forgotten, we were back to tomorrow's meeting and how much he didn't want me to attend it. I already knew this, it had been the main topic of the drive over here, well, that and all the things he was going to do to me when we got back to Pam's. But those things accomplished, he was back on the meeting topic. I turned and looked up at him. "Don't you think I can do it?"

He reached into the shelves on the closet and pulled out jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of flip-flops and handed them to me. "I think you can do anything. I worry though when you do something like this and I can not be with you." He paused for a moment touching my hair and continued, "It's fine if you look uncomfortable. You are supposed to be uncomfortable with the way your life is turning out. You are dissatisfied in your soul." I nodded. Eric had spent centuries pretending to be something he wasn't, he was good at it.

"Amelia is attending with you?" he asked.

I nodded again, "A lot of people know about Amelia and Tray and how unhappy she's been. And you know, with me, I've always been real vocal about the telepathy be a pain in the rear."

He just stared at me. "I can not talk you out of this."

I shook my head emphatically no and really hoped that he wouldn't try because I knew that he probably could if he really wanted to. I was sort of scared and not too sure that I wanted to do it at all and he could be damn persuasive when he really set his mind to it.

He scooped me up Rhett-style and started moving toward the bed, "Do you think then that it might be possible for me to tire you out to the point that you oversleep?"

Oh yeah, I definitely thought that could be possible.

"What time is the meeting? One in the afternoon?" he asked jut to be clear on how tired he needed to make me.

Despite his efforts, and they had been impressive, I made it to the meeting on time. Of course, it had helped that Amelia had called me to tell me she was leaving Bon Temps. I looked down at the piece of paper Quinn had given me and looked up at the older, run-down looking church. It wasn't what I had expected. I'd been picturing one of the modern Fellowship of the Sun type halls with lots of glass and open space. This was just a beat-up old Baptist church and I'd been in plenty of those – nothing to be scared of there.

Quinn said that there was a back entrance that led into the basement. I didn't love that. Baptist churches might not hold much for me to be scared of, but back entrances usually led to nothing good. I looked at Amelia and she looked at me. Oddly, the whole scene felt out of whack to me. I was used to this kind of thing when I was in a junker of a car somehow looking at Amelia over the dash of my Mercedes didn't feel right. And the car really didn't fit in the neighborhood. I wondered what Eric would do if the car was stolen or vandalized?

Mostly, I was thinking these things to drown out Amelia; her brain was coming at me so loud I could barely hear myself. I wanted to tell her to shut the hell up, but from experience, that tended to freak people out. She was wondering if we were going to get killed or abducted? She was wondering why she had agreed to come along? She took a deep breath and said, "Sookie, I know you can hear what I'm thinking anyway so let's just get it out there. I'm scared to death to go in there. But I'm willing because Sam's a shifter and I can't let anything else happen to a man I love while I don't even try to do something to stop it."

I tried to tell her that she couldn't have done anything, but she just held up her hand. Besides, I'm sure lots of people had told her that. What did it really matter what people said, she was carrying that around with her forever.

"Even though I want to go in there. Want to help. I'm scared to death," she finished.

I took her hand in mine, "I know. Me too."

This had been a bad idea. And why the hell hadn't I overslept, I was exhausted that was for certain and probably walking funny to boot. I tried to think of something to say that would make her want to go inside, make either of us want to go inside, "You know," I began. "Sam is a real brave man. He would have come, if I'd asked, but I didn't want to him to be a target. But I know he would have. He does stuff like that all the time."

She nodded.

"Sometimes," I continued. "When I'm real scared, I feel for Eric and then its almost like he's with me and I don't feel so scared anymore."

She snorted a little and said, "That's the blood bond though. And you know that's not a shifter thing. Only vampires do that."

I shrugged at her and said quietly, "You can still feel Sam's courage though if you concentrate. That's not a blood bond thing. It's a love thing."

It took a moment but that seemed to penetrate her fear. We headed inside.

It looked like a standard church meeting inside – folding metal chairs set up in a circle and a table with coffee and doughnuts in the back - and I'd been to church meetings before, nothing new there. Amelia and I as if by mutual consent headed over to get coffee. It gave us something to do other than just standing there feeling awkward. It was one of the many reasons why coffee was a beautiful drink.

As we stood by the coffee, Quinn spotted me and crossed the floor to greet us. He looked way too pleased that I had come. He hugged me close, "I'm so glad you came."

I had to will myself not to pull away. I kept thinking about how I was going to stink of tiger when I got home and how annoyed Eric was going to be by that. But, we had agreed, Eric and I, that I was the best person to get the information, so I hugged Quinn back and tried to act like I was really happy to be there.

When we pulled apart I asked if he remembered Amelia. He gave her a nod and said he would introduce us around. As he led us from one person to another he said softly to me, "He let you come."

I wanted to tell him to go to hell. I hated his statement on so many levels –the idea that I was some sort of prisoner begging to go out or that Eric wouldn't let me do something that I wanted to do, well, I guess maybe that was the same thing, but it really pissed me off. Instead, I gave him a sideways glance and gestured toward the window, "It's day." I figured that covered all my bases.

Quinn laughed seeming really happy about my answer. "Well, that makes sense. If he had agreed to your coming he would have risen significantly in my estimation. You know, if he actually cared that you hate being a telepath."

It took everything I had not to smack him. How did he think he knew anything about what Eric cared about? And, I felt like I was betraying Eric by letting Quinn insult him. If Eric had been awake I could have thought about how much I loved him and it would have helped me handle this knowing that he could feel it. I knew that the role I was playing and that I should probably say something about vampires using me for my telepathy, but they hadn't recently and I just couldn't bring myself to say anything bad. I knew that was what Quinn wanted to hear, but instead I said, "Can we not talk about Eric."

Quinn nodded. He seemed pretty okay with that answer too. "Fine with me, babe. I'd be okay if we never had to mention him again." And then he was thinking about the time we'd had sex at my house and how great it had been. Ugh.

Fortunately, a woman caught his eye and he was steering me toward her. He wanted me to meet her. She was tall with stylish blonde hair. She was pretty although she looked sort of unfriendly. When we arrived next to her, she gave Quinn a huge smile and then looked at Amelia and I like we were something she needed to scrape off her shoe.

"Sookie, Amelia," Quinn said belatedly remembering my former roommate. "Let me introduce you to Madeline. She started this group and I have her to thank for saving me."

Madeline took me in like I was an exhibit at a museum. And then finally said, "So you are the Sheriff's human mistress. You certainly have caused a lot of fuss over the years." She looked at me as if expecting a response. I had no idea what I was supposed to say to that. Especially because the tone of her voice made it pretty clear that she couldn't understand what the fuss had been about. "And Quinn says you can read thoughts too," she said as an after-thought.

Again, since I couldn't figure out what to say I just let my manners take over, "Thank you for having me." And I smiled at her until my cheeks hurt.

She looked at me coldly, "We welcome all, but not all can be saved. I told this to Quinn when he spoke of bringing you in."

Well, okey-dokey then I was apparently not savable.

There was a little more socializing and then we took our seats. I'd never been to any kind of support group meeting, but I suppose it was like any other. People told their stories and their stories were sad. I try to be somewhat optimistic so I tried to think that it was great that they were all here getting the help they needed, and it was! But, there was a part of me that just ached for them. Ached for myself because I looked at these people and wondered if that's how I had been. Had I hated myself? Had I wished I could shut off a part of me that was a natural to me as breathing or having blonde hair? Had Eric kind of saved me from feeling that way by putting Sookie Stackhouse, barmaid in front of Sookie Stackhouse, telepath and then showing me that there was no difference between the two?

But before I could explore any of this too deeply, Amelia was on her feet. It took me a few minutes to absorb the shock of hearing her voice before I started to listen to her talking about Tray and all the pain that what had happened had caused her. She was also talking about how she was going to give up magic, but I could hear from her head that that part wasn't true. She just needed a reason to be talking. And the talking was helping her.

Well, if it was helping her to pour out her sad story then bringing her to this meeting was a blessing and for that it was worth it. I guess if I could help Amelia find her footing with Sam and really love him the way he deserved I would feel like maybe it would make up for all the pain she had suffered just because she knew me.

My mind was wandering, no longer listening to Amelia, but not wanting to seem overly interested in any of the people. I listened for a voice that might be trying to determine who its next victim might be, but mostly heard people thinking the usual array of thoughts. One guy was thinking that since Amelia was cool with dating Weres that maybe he'd ask her out, she was real pretty. A woman was making out her shopping list. Another woman was wondering if her sitter would clean up the playroom this time and wondering if coming to group was worth the mess she found every time she got home. Quinn was thinking that blue was a great color on me, but wondered if that t-shirt was free from Fangtasia. I had to stop myself before I glanced down at my t-shirt to see what it was.

And then I heard my name in my head, "Sookie. Can you hear me?"

I didn't look around but gave a slight nod to indicate that I was listening. "If you can hear me, cross your ankles." Huh, smart voice. I crossed my ankles

And then the voice thought an address and time over and over again. Well, alrighty then.

Amelia had sat back down and I realized everyone was looking at me. I was the only one that hadn't said anything yet. Oh crap.

"Sookie," Madeline said. "You could at least introduce yourself. After all, we've allowed you to listen to our very private heartaches."

I blushed hotly and thought savagely that she'd already introduced me. I looked at Madeline and thought how much I hated her for making these people feel that they had something to apologize for -- that they needed to be saved. It was wrong. I could hear around the room that a lot of the people here recognized me anyway, vampires had their own gossip magazines. Eric had won "Louisiana's Sexiest Vampire" a couple of times and we'd been in it a few times even before we'd run off. Now, we were probably in there every time they could get a picture, which was undoubtedly too infrequently to suit their tastes. I pulled a picture out of someone's head of us laughing in a restaurant in New Orleans and another one of us kissing outside Fangtasia so we'd been in there at least twice. And we'd only been back in Louisiana a couple of weeks.

I waved at the group, 'I'm Sookie. How y'all doing?"

A few people murmured back polite responses. I tried looking at Quinn for comfort, but found I couldn't stand it because he was looking at me so eagerly that I couldn't handle his puppy dog excitement, not when I knew I was about to stand up there and…well, if not exactly lie, certainly not tell everything I knew. That thought struck me and I could almost hear Eric, "What I tell you is true."

You could tell a lot of truth without being completely honest, couldn't you? Okay then, let's give that a try, "A lot of you know who I am."

People nodded and I continued, "I have an extra ability. It's made my life difficult and scary. It brought me into contact with the Supernatural world and that has changed me forever." People were really nodding now and I was warming to my subject, "I've been hurt. Sometimes it's been bad. And I supposed I'm lucky to be alive. I think that if something like this group had existed years ago, maybe it could have helped me through some pretty dark times. And I think that's all I want to say today."

I sat down firmly and was a little surprised when a few people clapped. Quinn looked proud as a new papa and it hurt me that he was going to be hurt by me again. And as I slunk down a little lower in my seat I thought, Oh Eric, you were right this was an awful idea.


	15. Chapter 15

Four in the afternoon and I was in the voice-appointed location, a coffee shop about three blocks from Fangtasia, wondering what the heck I was doing here and who the heck was going to show up. I stirred a third sugar that I really didn't need into my over-priced latte and waited. As I sat I mulled over the meeting and wondered when I had stopped being quite so angry about my less than run-of-the-mill human side. When I really tried to think on it, I realized it was about the time that someone – a vampire someone – had made me feel like I was more than a telepath or a barmaid or a crazy person. I was someone special even if I was only special to him. And I really wanted to see him right now.

I wanted to get home and shower, so I wouldn't smell like shifter, and get in bed with him before he rose. I wanted to go pick out a house and hang light-tight shutters and have a place that we could curl up at the end of the day alone. Because lord knows we are never alone during the day, or in our case, night.

You know what, fuck the voice, and I do not generally hold with bad language. If the voice wanted me, it could damn well walk into Fangtasia and get me. I wasn't going to sit here and wait for it. I was going to do what I wanted. I set down my coffee cup firmly on the little art deco table and gathering up my stuff and all my new resolve when Agent Weiss walked up to me. I could not have been more shocked…well…maybe I wasn't that shocked; the possibility had crossed my mind.

"Miss Stackhouse," she said. "May I sit?"

I plunked back down in my chair in probably the least gracious way possible and indicated impatiently that she should do the same. Sometimes when I looked at my self from outside myself I could see a lot of Eric's high-handed mannerisms were really rubbing off. And I wondered if I was making him more human-like was he making me more vampire-like? Well, that was a disturbing thought better thought about, maybe never.

She sat with considerably more grace and professionalism than I had managed to muster up. I probably looked more like a fourteen year-old whose mama had just told her that the latest fashion was ridiculous and over-priced. Trying to pull myself together I plastered on my idiot grin and asked, "You heal up okay? I felt real bad about you getting shot." I felt bad about it? Yeah, she probably didn't feel too great about it either.

But again, her professionalism was impressive because she simply smiled and replied, "Oh yes, thank you. I've been fine."

Then we sat there in awkward silence. Well, awkward for me, she obviously knew why she was here and was just letting me brood a little bit.

"We have a proposition for you," she said finally. "And I'd like you to hear it out before you reject it out of hand."

I didn't say anything but imagine I must have looked a lot like a hunted animal because I noticed that her body language became very soothing and non-aggressive. "You have a real gift," she said supportively. "And since I was injured, I've been working with a special division within the FBI. We have a lot of independent contractors. I think you might feel very comfortable there."

I just kept looking at her and didn't say anything. This was part of the reason that I had wanted to run in the first place. I didn't want people using me for my gift. I know it's selfish, my gift could really help people and wasn't that what I had always said I wanted, but I just don't like being used. Control was a big issue with me. I had been working on it, but sometimes people just say things that get your back up and for me it was anything to do with being used.

I was going to open my mouth to say this when I stopped because something hit me. Maybe if I took control of my disability, people couldn't use me quite so much. Maybe if I worked a little bit for the FBI and a little bit for Eric and others, I would have a little more of what I had wanted in the first place. Maybe I just needed to stop being so afraid. Another really useful thing that I had learned from Eric was that sometimes you could fix a tough situation simply by not letting it beat you. Maybe it doesn't come out perfect, but it comes out pretty good and usually in a way you can live with. I think they call it brazening it out.

"I can't leave here," I ventured. "I have a fiancée and a house and a family."

But she was already shaking her head. "You don't have to leave here. I could be your handler and I'm based here, well, in New Orleans, but close." She looked at me for a second as if evaluating and then said, "I'm going to propose something very unusual, but I've been working with Supes a lot and I think this might help. What if I came to you this evening to discuss it with you and your fiancée…and…there's not immediate superior for him right that would need to be consulted?"

I felt my respect rise for Agent Weiss just a little bit. Not that she'd ever done anything to not make me respect her; I'd just been terrified every time I was around her. But it was good that she was willing to take into account the problems that might arise with vampire culture.

"No, just the king and he wouldn't come to something like this."

She nodded and was handing me a bunch of papers, "You should look at these and share them with Mr. Northman. We have excellent benefits even for contractors." Benefits would be amazing. I still refused to be put on the payroll at Fangtasia in order to take part in the group health plan. It drove Eric crazy and he kept pointing out that it would cost him much less to have me as an employee than it would to keep paying out-of-pocket for my medical expenses and then he'd always backtrack real fast saying that he wasn't saying for certain that he was the one that had paid my bills, could have been anyone. Yeah right, I couldn't think of anyone else, but that didn't change the fact that I wasn't going to take a made-up job just to be on the health plan. Stupid, yes. Prideful, absolutely, but we all had little lines we wouldn't cross in our heads and that was one for me. I realize this might be the murkiest morality out there, but it was all I had left at this point and I was clinging to it.

"Alright then," she said bringing me back to the meeting. "Name the time and place."

I sized her up for a long moment biting the inside of my cheek a little before saying, "Fangtasia, 8:30."

I thought I saw her smile falter a little bit for just a moment, but it was back in place in no time flat and she said, "I'll see you then."

I dipped into her head for a moment to make certain that this was okay and she wasn't blocking me at all. She was thinking about the work she had to finish up and that she was glad she planned to stay over tonight. And that she wanted to get home and Skype her kids to find out about school that day. She was already turning to leave as our business, at least for the moment, was over.

"Agent Weiss," I said.

She turned. "You were the voice in my head right? No one else I'm waiting on here."

She laughed a little, "No, I've been going to that group for three weeks now and was starting to wonder if I was wasting my time that there was no connection to the disappearances. But when you walked in I knew that I'd been right."

She paused and then looked at me for a moment, "I'd heard you were back. You look well rested."

Everyone seemed to think I looked real different. Was it maybe just because I didn't have all that crazy terror right behind my eyes all the time? Wondering if they'd think I was off or find out about any of my millions of secrets. Or maybe was it that with all the vamp blood my control was so good that I actually felt in control of my life for once? I just didn't know.

"Thanks, that's real nice of you to say."

She nodded. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye bye now." Bye-bye…yeesh…I needed a shower and some time to think this all through. I was never going to get through that stack of papers before Eric rose which meant I was going to be playing catch up all night. Annoying vampire speed-reader.

It was getting real late by the time I pulled into the driveway, but I still thought I had time for a quick shower.

Quickly shucking my clothes and tossing them into the hamper – heaven forbid I smell like tiger, it would just lead to a whole night of sniffing, frowning and rubbing up against me, not that I objected to the rubbing, but I could live without the sniffing or the frowning -- I turned on the shower as hot as it could go and hopped in. As the water beat down on me I tried to organize the day in my head.

Agent Weiss had been at the support group too so obviously I wasn't the only one that thought there was something a little off about this group. And that Madeline, she didn't really seem like the understanding or supportive type, what she was doing running a support group beat the heck out of me. Of course, it was also pretty clear that she wasn't a big fan of mine, not that that meant anything much she was hardly the first person not to like me, but usually it was because they were sort of afraid of me. So what was she afraid of?

And then I couldn't help thinking of Amelia and everything she had said at the meeting, which made me kind of sad. I hated that I had brought all that pain into her life. And I couldn't deny that I had. Surely, there was nothing I could do about it except try to be her friend and love her. It might not make up for it, but it was the best I could do. Just like I'd chosen this life, Amelia had too. And it might be a little more interesting than a lot of lives out there, but there was a price. I'd told Sam once that I was willing to pay it and I was still standing here so I guess I still was. It had its upsides too, at least for me and I hoped for Amelia. This was a small problem compared to the others and needed to be put to the back of my mind. I hate that I thought of personal relationships as small problems, but well what can you do?

Then there was the whole FBI situation, where to go with that. I thought I might be right that sometimes the solution was to embrace the situation, but what other problems was that going to bring?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even notice when the shower curtain slid back and a large Viking joined me. Opening my eyes after rinsing the shampoo from my hair, I almost choked from swallowing a bunch of water. Eric snickered.

"Jesus H. Chirst, Eric you scared the daylights out of me!"

He leaned forward to kiss my neck, "Yes, I noticed."

He took the soap from my hands, turned me to face the showerhead and began lathering my back working the tension from my shoulder blades. I had real nice memories of his doing this not just when he lost his memory but many times since, but I hadn't really been looking for that kind of shower when I'd gotten in here. And as house guests, it seemed really rude to use all Pam's hot water before she had a chance to shower.

"You looked lost in thought. What had you so absorbed?"

Briefly, I debated telling him that I'd been thinking about him, but that would lead to one thing and another and I had a lot on my mind and a list of things I needed to do. Undoubtedly, if I had looked over my shoulder at him, I probably would have found myself more in the mood and so I locked my gaze onto a gleaming white tile and began to tell him about the meeting and Agent Weiss and all my thoughts on the day. He listened silently. Because I wasn't looking at him, I couldn't gauge his reactions to any of it. But his fingers were continuing to work their magic on my back and neck and I was starting to feel a lot less tense. By the time I finished telling him everything I found I felt much more relaxed and said, "So that's it. What do you think?"

He turned me to face him and studied my face for a few moments, "I think that you are correct that this group is somehow involved. I think John Quinn may be unstable."

I nodded. I agreed with both of those things. But they weren't really the most pressing things on my mind and then he said uncertainly, "As to the FBI, I am unsure how to respond. Is this what you would like?"

I cocked my head to the side and looked at him. I didn't love that he was uncertain. I liked him sure of himself. It made me feel secure. "I want to protect myself and us," I replied trying to articulate my reasoning. "I want to stay here. I don't want to have to be away from you or at least not very often, but I want to be useful. I can't just hang out being your fiancée, waiting for you to need me to read someone. I want to have…I want to help people, but I want to have as much control as I can and this seems like an okay way to do it."

He kissed my nose, "I don't mind your 'hanging around' but I understand what you are trying to say."

I wrapped my arms around him and said into his chest, "You know you've made this decision possible." I felt like I'd really never told him this. "You treated me like I was more than a barmaid or a telepath, but someone special. You've made me feel like I could handle this and not lose control."

He looked into my eyes, "You are someone special. What other human would have taken me in when I was no one? What other human would be so brave in the face of so many dangers? And, give so much to so many people while receiving so little in return."

I looked down at my feet, still not able to take a compliment with much in the way of grace, I tried to smile and murmured, "I'd really like to buy a house tonight and I'm getting kind of water-logged."

He put a finger under my chin and raised my face to look in my eyes, "As you wish lover." And we switched places to allow him access to the water.

As we were dressing he came to sit beside me on the bed, "Sookie," he said softly. I looked up at him. "It appears that you are about to move forward on an undertaking that some might describe as dangerous…" He trailed off as though unable to continue. Clearly, he was struggling with what to say, but I had no idea how to help him put his thoughts to words because I had no idea were he was going.

"I wish to love you to let you have what you want," he said. "I wish you to be with me, but I find myself…"

He wished what? This was starting to sound a little like a break up speech. I willed myself not to panic and searched the bond a little to see if I could get something that might help me figure out what he wanted to tell me. And what I got was that he was afraid and damn uncomfortable talking about it.

He was afraid that I was going to get hurt, yet again, in this world that always seemed to cause me pain. I smiled at him and tried to look brave because he loved me brave and I wanted to give that to him. And, truth be told, I loved myself that way too.

"I don't want you to protect me, Eric. I just want you to love me."

"Such a simple request," he said looking at his hands as if ashamed that I was in danger so often.

I reached over and ran my hand through his hair, "Not so simple. You're the only person – other than my Gran – that's loved me for who I am. I don't take it lightly."

He stood up and continued dressing. "It's self-serving," he said somewhat coolly. "I wish to keep you with me."

If he thought he was sending me some sort of reminder that he was a vampire, well, he was an idiot. No one was better aware than me of exactly who and what Eric was.

"It's self-serving for me too," I stated. I kind of wanted to feel angry about this conversation – weren't we way past this? "I don't think about it like that. I might wrap some pretty language around it, but I want to keep you too. You're mine."

This time he smiled at me. And it was a damn sexy smile. Probably helped along by the fact that he was wearing tight black leather pants, one of his more ridiculous belt buckles and a black silk shirt that he had not bothered to button. I cleared my throat and tried to keep my voice from squeaking. For a man that was supposed to be "mine" he affected me like a schoolgirl and there was no denying that, "You're working the floor tonight."

He nodded and advanced, slowly, one could even say predatorily, if one were inclined to think that way. "You're going to give our brand-new seventy year-old neighbor a coronary in that outfit. Not too mention the realtor."

He stalked closer, "Oh well."

Damn it. I was dressed. I hadn't dried my hair yet and if I ended up on my back my hair was going to look like hell all night. He pounced and I squealed. The squeal was supposed to be a protest, but it didn't sound like it, not in the least, sounded way more like delight. Well, I could put my hair up in a ponytail.

You had to credit Agent Weiss, she walked in the door of Fangtasia promptly at 8:30 that night. She wore jeans and t-shirt. Her hair was down, not in its usual severe ponytail. She didn't look like the regular clientele, but she didn't scream law enforcement either. I waved to her.

Pam and I had been sitting in a booth chatting. Eric had informed us that he had work to do and left us out here the minute we'd arrived. If he was really working the floor tonight, he wasn't following his own rules.

I'd been showing Pam pictures of the new house. She flipped through them and smiled as she got to a photo of the master bathroom. "You know Sookie," she said. "It goes without saying that my home is yours for as long as you need it. But I will be thrilled to only have to pick up my own towels."

"You need to be firmer with him Pam. If you don't pick them up, you'll eventually run out of dry towels and he'll have to use a damp, smelly one. He won't like that.

She raised an eyebrow at me, "You know I can't do that, but I do enjoy that you do. Maybe later you could tell him to go fly a kite again."

She flipped through the pictures again just as Agent Weiss arrived at our table. "This is really a large home," Pam said thoughtfully. "You have to hire a housekeeper."

I wondered if I looked as floored by the idea as I felt. No one had ever cleaned up after me before and I wondered if I'd feel comfortable having a stranger clean up after us. I could hear Agent Weiss thinking how strange it was that we were chatting like friends about domestic arrangements. She had had a similar conversation with her sister the other day. She knew Pam was Eric's child and wondered what that made our relationship. Like a type of in-law? Or was it not the same?

"No one's ever helped me clean the house before," I said to Pam finishing up the conversation. "I just don't know how I'd feel about it."

"Well," Pam said smiling. "If you are going to make Eric help you clean, could you take a picture for me? I would pay dearly to see it." And then she turned her attention to Agent Weiss.

I rolled my eyes at Pam and introduced her to Agent Weiss. Pam nodded in greeting and said, "He's waiting." We stood and headed back toward the office.

**A/N: Hi all, thanks for sticking with me! So I know exactly where this story is going, but it's taking me longer than I thought to get there. But if people have thoughts or things they'd like to see expanded, I'm certainly open to hearing it over PM. **

**Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything. If I did, my day job would be a lot more fun than it is!**


	16. Chapter 16

The first twenty minutes or so was like a regular old business meeting. You would never have known that two of the participants were a vampire and a telepath and that the meeting was taking place in a bar. There were contracts with redlined changes, discussions of future projects and outlines of parameters and reporting structures. It didn't seem like part of my life at all.

And then Agent Weiss said, "In the interest of our new working arrangement, I wanted to share with you the information that we had gathered to date." She handed both Eric and I a folder. I felt so professional I was practically glowing with happiness. Eric flicked his gaze toward me as he accepted the manila folder and smiled indulgently. He could tell I was pleased with how this had worked out.

I flipped mine right open but noticed that Eric did not. He was looking at a surveillance photo of Madeline clipped to the outside of the folder. He stared at it for a long time without saying anything and then confirmed, "This is Madeline."

I nodded. And he said, "Pam."

I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. What about Pam? Agent Weiss looked confused too, but then Pam zipped into the office with that vampire lickedy split movement and I realized that he'd been calling her.

Agent Weiss seemed a little taken aback. I guess up until that moment Eric and Pam had seemed real human to her. I understood. They could seem that way and then sometimes they really didn't.

Eric unclipped the photo from the folder and handed it to Pam. She snorted, "Mathilde."

His head moved a maybe a millimeter, I guess that had been an affirmation, and Pam whipped out her cell phone and said, "Bill."

She got another fraction of a nod and started dialing.

Agent Weiss and I were just sitting there watching the byplay. As Pam dialed, she practically skipped over to the storage cabinet that used to hold Eric's extra shirts. She had such an undisguised look of excitement; she had never looked more like Alice in Wonderland until she opened up the cabinet and pulled out a shotgun. Agent Weiss sat up in her chair like someone had just stuck her with a real sharp pin. Pam held the shotgun up for the FBI agent to admire and giving her a fangy smile said, "Sookie taught me how to use it. Isn't it grand?"

I dropped my head in my hand and hid my face. The evening had been going so well. Then she turned away from us and started talking to Bill in quiet tones. But Eric interrupted her, "Don't bring that thing Pam. It's messy." Yeah it was messy alright. Brain tissue on your coat messy.

Agent Weiss was staring back and forth between them like they had gone insane. I felt like someone that had brought her friend over for dinner only to have her eccentric family act crazier than ever. It was time to get the meeting back to being more like a meeting and less like…well, I had no idea what it was like, a weird vampire meeting. "What the hell is going on?" I snapped.

Pam told Bill to hold on. "Just a blast from the past," she said merrily. "No need to get your panties all in a twist."

Eric rolled his eyes at Pam and went back to flipping through the folder Agent Weiss had given him. This time with his feet planted on his desk like he was looking over the inventory reports or the employee time cards. Agent Weiss however looked a little offended that her panties had been brought into it – I wasn't bothered my panties were always being brought up, but maybe this wasn't the kind of thing that got said at the FBI.

"If she's a vampire…" Agent Weiss started to say, but then trailed off because obviously, whatever this Madeline was, she wasn't a vampire. So she tried again, "Or a Were…then she's part human and –"

"Nope, not a Were," Pam laughed obviously enjoying the guessing game. But Agent Weiss had had enough she looked at Eric and growled, "Explain."

I was a little taken aback. I wouldn't have snapped at him like that and I'm sleeping with him so I get away with a lot.

His feet snapped down off his desk and he was glaring at Agent Weiss with just a touch of fang showing. She amended, "Please. Explain please."

He nodded looking slightly appeased, "Mathilde, as she called herself the last time we saw her, although she had other names before that, is not a vampire nor is she a Were. She is something else entirely."

"And she's nuts," Pam interjected. Eric looked a little annoyed at having the floor stolen from him but conceded Pam's point. "She is not playing with a full deck," he confirmed.

Agent Weiss pulled out her cell phone, which caused Pam to seem to remember that she'd had Bill on hold this whole time and whispered something into the phone.

"You should bring us in," Agent Weiss was saying to Eric. "I know that vampires handle justice among their own and the rules aren't really clearly spelled out with all the new Supe groups that seem to be surfacing…"

She trailed off again because Eric was staring at her without blinking. He hadn't meant to freak her out, I could tell, he was just thinking, but she was finding the way he didn't blink way creepy.

"She's not like anything you've ever dealt with before," Pam said softly. "And we –"

"Pam," Eric snapped and she shut up so fast that I knew he must have commanded her not to speak. That made me nervous. Why was he commanding her not to speak? He rarely did that.

I narrowed my eyes at him and he looked right back at me. A world passed between us in that look. And I already knew that this was one of those situations that was not going to make me happy and probably I was going to get beat up too. My standards had changed though, being beaten up was not nearly as bad as being bitten, so as long as nobody bit me, I was cool.

He looked away from me and said to Agent Weiss, "She gathers warriors for…well, she used to gather warriors for the gods, but now she's more freelance."

My mouth had to be hanging open, yup, it was, I couldn't believe this. "She's a freelance Valkyrie?"

Eric's mouth quirked up at the edge. "Yes, lover."

"What do you mean she gathers warriors?" Agent Weiss asked.

Pam snorted impatiently obviously eager to get to the fighting part of the evening. "She gathers fallen warriors and brings them to…well, wherever you believe that they go. But that's what she used to do. She lost her job and became a freelancer."

I felt like there were still big holes missing in this explanation. Freelancer for whom? Where'd she bring them now? But the vampires didn't seem interested in explaining it. They were gathering their things and getting ready to head out the door. Eric paused and appeared to be doing a headcount. "Bill is on his way?"

Pam nodded. "I have the Cayenne," she said. "We should all fit." Eric held out his hand for the keys. Obviously, he wasn't planning on smooshing into the back seat. I wondered who would get the passenger seat, Bill or Pam. I knew it wasn't going to be me.

"Where are we headed?" Agent Weiss asked. "I can call for back up." I guess she had enough information. I was glad one of us felt like that.

Eric looked a little uncertain about the idea of back up. And Pam explained, "We can't tell you like that."

Agent Weiss was confused again, poor woman, but I caught on. "They've had her blood and she's had theirs. They can find her, but not like a GPS."

"And its an old connection," Pam supplied "So it's harder to track."

Now Agent Weiss just looked curious, "Do you think it will still work?"

Pam smiled but it wasn't a very friendly smile. "Oh yes, she just loves Eric. And its not like we're trying to track her from far away. She'll feel his pull."

I was looking at Pam. I hadn't liked the way she had said that Madeline loved Eric. And speak of the devil, I felt his hand sneak into mine and he pulled me toward the bar. His lips brushed my neck and were considering heading further south. He said softly speaking more to my cleavage than to me, "You know I've never purchased a home with anyone before. This has been an exciting day. We should celebrate later."

It seemed mightily off-topic, which made me even more nervous. "Is there anything I should know?" I asked him coolly.

He tightened his grip on my hand. "I just told you what you needed to know."

I searched his face. "That you've never purchased a house with anyone before."

"Yes, that is what you need to know."

We arrived at Hair of the Dog about twenty minutes later. We had sat for a little while outside of Fangtasia while Eric just kind of stared off into space, I couldn't really figure out what the heck he was doing, searching his blood? How did he know where she was? It was weird. But after a little bit, Eric announced where we were headed and we had all piled into the SUV.

It had been a silent car ride over. Eric had driven and Pam had nabbed shotgun so Bill, Agent Weiss and I had been stuffed in the back of Pam's Cayenne. Pam had called Alcide on the way over and he had agreed to meet us a block away. After all, it wasn't like vampires and the FBI could just walk into Hair of the Dog. I probably could, but I wasn't going to try.

About midway through the ride Bill who had been looking out the window snapped, "Why is Sookie here? It's not safe."

The question was greeted with silence. I had thought about telling him to stuff it, but let's face it he wasn't talking to me and probably would ignore whatever I said. The silence lengthened and Bill growled, "Eric?"

Eric still said nothing I guess he figured it wasn't worth a response. Probably he was right, but I answered anyway, "Shut up, Bill. Eric doesn't have me on a damn leash."

Pam laughed at that and Eric glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "We could try that though if you wanted," he offered.

I raised an eyebrow and replied, "Gross."

He smiled at me. He hadn't really been serious; it wasn't the kind of thing he was into. He was just looking to get a rise out of Bill, "Just offering. I'm open to anything you'd like to try."

The car ride was uncomfortably silent after that. The FBI lady had to think we were crazy or maybe that she was crazy for thinking it would help her career if she got involved with us. I could hear her pretty clearly in the car. She was open-minded about supernatural stuff and she felt like it was the wave of the future. It was still hard to get ahead in law enforcement as a female in the south and this gave her a leg up. And even though intellectually she had understood that Eric and I were involved, he wasn't just the vampire I worked for, she hadn't fully understood how blatantly sexual vampires were and how being around Eric would affect her. She'd never dreamed that it would affect her, but when he looked at me a certain way or made comments like that she found herself having thoughts…and that was about all the information I wanted from her head. I understood, but I didn't want to think about it.

Once we got to our meeting point there were a lot of negotiations about who was going in and what they would take in with them. Pam had kept stubborn hold of her shotgun until Eric growled her name and she handed it over.

I thought Alcide was pretty easygoing about the whole vampires in a Were bar thing. I guess he really wanted to catch whoever was hurting his people. I had always thought he'd be a good packmaster. Unfortunately, his attitudes about women were about as arcane as Bill's without the excuse of being from another century. "Sookie should stay here," he told Eric flatly. "I can leave one of my guys to guard her."

I could have told him that Eric would respond to the idea of me being left with Werewolves about as well as he would to Alcide telling him how to protect me. His fangs were out before you could say nosy werewolf. I hopped in between them and put my hand on Eric's chest. "I don't think that's up to you Alcide." And then I gave Eric my biggest smile, "Who knew as old as you are that you'd have the most progressive attitude toward women."

Eric grinned at me. He liked being progressive especially toward women. It wasn't like he didn't know that I was just buttering him up and was going to kick and scream about the idea of being left behind. He'd tried a lot of different tactics over the years and had finally gone with honesty and common sense, not that he couldn't still be high-handed if he thought it would serve him better. This time he looked down at me and said seriously, "It is dangerous Sookie."

I nodded to show that I was taking him seriously and had my listening ears on, "I'll stay right behind you the whole time."

He looked a little disbelieving so I continued, "If you think it's not safe, you nod and I'm out the door. Bill will take me."

Eric looked at Bill who looked pleased to have been picked as my champion – give me a break, I wasn't going to pick a Were I didn't know, Alcide couldn't leave and I would hardly deprive Eric of Pam when he might need her. Bill was the logical choice, good old back-up Bill.

"Right behind me," he repeated severely. Yes! I was going to get my way! I tried to keep the celebration to a minimum so as not to embarrass anyone, you know, like myself. As people scattered for a moment to make final preparations before entering the bar I snaked my arms around Eric's waist. "I love you," I mumbled into his chest. He dropped a kiss on the top of my head and said into my hair, "I spoil you horribly. It's really quite shameful."

I grinned at him and let my mind wander out into the groups' thoughts, "Alcide thinks I'm a royal pain in the ass and doesn't know why you put up with me. He thinks it's a wonder you can get me to behave at all and a miracle that I haven't been killed." I wandered out to the brains I didn't know. They were harder to read just because I didn't know them. "The rest of them mostly think I must be dynamite in the sack for you to put up with my crap. Vampires apparently, aren't thought of as being indulgent with their mates."

He snorted, "So basically, they think I'm whipped. Pam thinks so too."

We were grinning at each other in a really dopey way. "Is that so awful?"

He frowned a little bit, "Probably for you. I don't much care what people think."

For me? Right, because if everyone thought he would do anything to keep me safe then it made me a really big target, like bigger than I already was. Maybe we'd need to change the perception a little bit.

"We're going in," Alcide said having hung up his cell phone. We nodded and headed into the bar. Alcide lead the way followed by Eric, Pam and Agent Weiss, then Bill and I and finally the other Weres. I was pretty safe I guess packed into the middle of a bunch of supes. But things never turn out like you think.

We entered Hair of the Dog with Alcide in front. It was good that he had been because the second Eric and Pam walked in I think every Were in the place got to their feet and not out of courtesy either.

"You remember these vampires," Alcide called out to his brethren. "They fought with us during the St. Catherine war. And they have come, in peace, with the FBI," he indicated to Agent Weiss. "They are here in relation to the disappearance of our brothers. We offer them our friendship as they offer us their assistance."

Most people resumed their seats and the overt snarling stopped although there were still a few bared teeth. Nobody paid much never mind to me, which was just fine.

In a corner sat Madeline with John Quinn. They're heads had been close together in deep discussion, but of course, they were looking at us now. Just like everyone else in the bar.

I imagined that we would make our way over to her table, but there was no need. Madeline leaped to her feet like an over-eager teenybopper and strode over to us with purpose.

"Eric Northman," she said smiling. "It's been a hundred years, literally."

Eric nodded and introduced her to Alcide and Agent Weiss and finished with, "You remember Pam." He didn't introduce Bill or I or any of Alcide's Weres. I don't think he remembered their names.

"Mathilde," he began, but she interrupted.

"Madeline."

"Of course, Madeline," she interrupted again. "You brought the FBI with you and your pet too."

I looked around expecting to see some sort of dog that Eric had acquired, but realized that she meant me. Disturbingly, he didn't correct her. She continued on about me, "I read that you're planning on marrying her. The pet." Gee, I was real glad that she had cleared up whom she meant in case there was someone else Eric was planning on marrying.

He inclined his head, but still didn't actually say anything. "And working with the FBI," Madeline sighed. "Times have certainly changed. But then, you've always been one for keeping up with the times."

He smiled a little sadly, "Well, things have changed significantly since we met."

She laughed loudly, obnoxiously. "Well, certainly for me. You know they won't let me near the real warriors these days. They say I take them too soon. Before they're ready."

Like she was snatching them off the battlefield before they were actually dead? That was disturbing.

"But, you know me, if I see a good one, I go for it," she smiled broadly at Eric. "You know you could still come with me. They can't accuse me of that with you. You've been dead a good long time."

"Yes, that I have," Eric said flatly.

"Pam too," Madeline said gleefully. "You're both wonderful."

She sighed in a way that made me, and probably everyone else in the bar, wonder what they were wonderful at, because it was distinctly possible she wasn't talking about battle. "But you probably won't come. Everyone says you won't leave your human," she snarled the word human as if that was the most disgusting thing that she had ever heard. I had stayed true to my word and was firmly planted behind Eric, even reaching my hand out to rest lightly on the small of his back to make certain that he knew I was there and didn't need to check or maybe I was just scared to death by her crazy mood swings and wanted to touch him so I could feel a little safer. Either way, I didn't want him taking his eyes off Madeline.

"Madeline," he purred. It was pretty clear that Madeline was just working herself into a frenzy and someone should probably stop her from talking so much. "I've never gone with you." He left out any mention of me. "I like walking the earth. And I don't want to go anywhere else to fight. These missing Weres did they go with you?"

There was silence. Long silence. And I don't know what I was thinking, I poked my head around Eric's arm just a bit. I was curious. You know they say curiosity killed the cat and I'm willing to believe it, its certainly gotten me into trouble a time or two. Her eyes locked on mine.

"Nosy little human," she sneered. "But you aren't all human are you…" Her voice sounded a lot more interested this time and I didn't want her to be interested in me.

The air was shimmering in a way I didn't like at all. A way that reeked of really old magic. And I swear she was getting taller, a lot taller.

"And you're quite the little warrior too, aren't you?" She was just talking to me now. I guess this was how it felt to be glamoured or be a mouse with a cobra. I couldn't look away from her eyes.

She grabbed my arm. How the hell had her arm gotten so long? Or did it just feel like she grabbed it? Her grip was strong and her fingers felt like they were on fire, I started clawing at her hands. And then I lost any sense of where I was or the fact that it seemed impossible that she was actually be holding onto me from where she was standing.

And I could see myself, fighting. Rene was chasing me. Weres were grabbing me and beating me. Mickey was backhanding me onto the couch and fairies…fairies were biting me. I was screaming.

Or at least someone was screaming, loudly. I could hear other things happening too. Eric was shouting at Bill, who rocketed into me and hit me like a ton of bricks and I think dislocated my arm because Madeline didn't let go when Bill pulled. Quinn was yelling at Madeline and then she was gone, out of my head. She was on the floor underneath Eric, Alcide and Pam.

My arm was killing me and Bill was desperately trying to get me out of the bar, but I couldn't look away. Eric was always beautiful to me in a fight, even without the sword. Although Alcide was probably wishing right now that he'd allowed the vampires to bring in their weapon because this was a hell of a fight. Madeline was a lot tougher than she looked and Quinn had her back. It was chaos in the bar. Weres were transforming and blood was flying. Quinn was growling at Alcide. He threw him easily into a group of Weres. Eric's attention was turned from Madeline as the giant tiger pounced on Pam. Madeline slipped from Eric's grasp and she was on the ceiling.

Bill yanked on my arm causing me to cry out. He looked vaguely apologetic, but said, "We need to leave."

We headed started out of the bar and Madeline called to me from her perch, "Little pet." I turned. I don't know why. I shouldn't have. I wasn't anybody's damn pet it was insulting.

"You'd make an excellent warrior for someone. I bet I could get a lot for you. But, on the other hand, if you are gone, perhaps he will follow me."

The fighting had stopped because Madeline had taken Quinn with her and had him draped over her shoulders like a housecat. I didn't know how she had done that and I was glad that Eric, who easily could have gotten to the ceiling too, wasn't following her. He replied to her though, "Madeline, leave her be. You have served with fairness, justice for many years. You are honored to chose the fallen that will go on…"

He didn't finish because she was sneering at him. "I chose you. And you still walk the earth. You were to die in battle a thousand years ago and yet, here you are. And you are not the only one. They've made me come here, I am not allowed to serve the fallen anymore, but I still have connections." She looked around for a moment and then smiled brightly as if we were at a garden party, "Be seeing you."

And they were gone. The bar was trashed. Pam looked at Eric, "What a crazy bitch," she spat. "You know she's gotten nuttier since we last saw her."

Eric gave a half-smile and walked over to me. "Does it hurt very much?"

Bill was hovering and Eric glared at him. "I could give her my blood," Bill suggested. "You've been weakened by the fight." Eric was bleeding quite significantly from a gash above his eye. It looked like tiger claw. He rolled his eyes at Bill, "That was just sad, Bill. I'd have to dead for you to get blood into her."

Pam growled low in her throat, "And only if I had followed him." Aww, that was kind of sweet Pam sticking up for me like that. Agent Weiss looked a little disgusted.

Eric put his hand on my back, "If you sit, I can pop your shoulder back into place."

Pam and Agent Weiss looked at him. "You know, these days, people go to the hospital for that sort of thing," Pam said. "So much for being all modern."

Eric shrugged, "She doesn't need a hospital and she'll be more comfortable."

He eased me into a chair. Maybe I'd be more comfortable after he'd done it, but as he did it I screamed again.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Thanks so much to everyone that has read and reviewed! I love all your feedback and it really is helping me write a better story! I love hearing your thoughts!!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but I'm having a lot of fun playing**.

Eric kissed me softly and said tentatively, "Better?"

I nodded and moved my arm a little bit. Yes, I guess it was better. It still hurt like a son of a bitch, but I could move it. He rose and went to speak to the bartender for a moment. He was back a second later with two aspirin and a bottle of water. He placed them on the table in front of me and went to speak with Alcide.

I took my aspirin and sat at the table observing the wreckage in the bar and wondering how I always seemed to be the one that got hurt. Pam always seemed to come out of everything unruffled…okay, I guess she got burned at Rhodes, but still.

Bill came over and sat down heavily in the chair across from mine. He looked at me significantly; the only problem was I had no idea what the hell the look was supposed to be telling me.

My shoulder ached and I felt exhausted. I needed to think. I desperately wanted to go back to Pam's lie down on the bed with Eric and talk through everything we had learned so far. I felt like there was something eluding me. Something that was just under the surface of everything I'd seen since coming back to Louisiana, but I had no idea what it was. Missing Weres. A crazy ex-Valkyrie. The king. Quinn. Madeline said she still had connections and that's what was missing for me, the connection. What was the connection?

It took a lot longer to explain all this than it did to think it and when I stopped thinking Bill was still staring at me. And it was annoying me. This is not how I wanted this evening to go. I had wanted to get a part-time job that allowed me to use my little disability for something positive. To take some control over my life. Then I wanted to order furniture for my house. And then, I wanted to celebrate. I didn't want to have my shoulder dislocated by a Valkyrie or be sitting in a Were bar waiting for Eric to be done sorting out the mess with the other in-charge types. Bill glaring at me was pretty much just the icing on the top of a really nasty cake.

Finally, I leveled him with a glare of my own and snapped, "What Bill?"

He took a long pull from his bottle of blood reminding me for all the world of the drunks at Merlotte's that are looking for a fight. And then said in his coldest, smoothest voice, "I can not decide if you are deeply stupid or simply a magnet for trouble."

And then he didn't say anything else. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. I looked toward the bar to see that Eric, although still talking to Alcide, was now looking toward us in a way that didn't bode well for Bill.

"Why were you even here tonight," he hissed. "Why can you not be controlled? I thought that perhaps I was not powerful enough, but certainly Eric should be able to stop you from making a mess of everything you come near! But truthfully, you are more difficult now than you ever were!"

Well, Bill had never thought too much of Eric. Oh he thought he was a good Sheriff, but I think the first thing he'd ever said to me about him was that he was 'something of a rogue.' But Bill wasn't finished either he was still talking. "What else will be brought on us because you are allowed to run wild?'

Run wild? Excuse me? I was starting to sputter now I had a lot I wanted to say, but couldn't get any of it out fast enough.

"Will you ever grow tired of bringing the wrath of more powerful creatures down upon us," he growled at me and for the first time in ages, I felt scared of Bill. He was gray and weak looking, but he was still a heck of a lot stronger than me and really mad. I knew about the extra strength that being angry could give you. There was rage buried deep down in him, rage at me. Maybe there was some justification to his anger with me but since he was shouting at me in the middle of a bar, I didn't think I needed to examine that too closely right at this moment.

"What else will I be asked to sacrifice," Bill roared. "So that you and Eric can continue to live outside our rules!"

And as I opened my mouth to say something, Bill was no longer in front of me, but next to me flat on his back on top of the table with a large hand around his throat. I knew the hand and knew I would find it connected to a large arm that was connected to an extremely pissed off Viking. Seriously, if Bill wanted to yell at me you would think he would have waited until he got me alone. He must have been pretty upset to disregard his own safety like that.

"Bill," Eric said calmly as his fingers' tightened around Bill's throat. "Why are you yelling at my wife?"

I looked around to see if anyone other than me was inclined to get involved in this little tussle and from the faces in the bar I could tell that the answer was a resounding no. The Weres looked like the best outcome would be for the vampires to kill one another regardless of whom they might have helped and when. Pam couldn't have looked more disinterested. And Agent Weiss looked like she just planned on getting the hell out of there. A fact that was confirmed when she announced, "I'm going to go home now." She looked at me and continued, "You are welcome to join me Sookie. I'll drop you anywhere you like." Her tone made it pretty clear that she thought if I was smart I'd run like hell out of that bar and let the two of them beat the hell out of each other if they were so inclined.

And although they did both seem inclined, I didn't think that would work out well for Bill and that Eric would probably get in more trouble for hurting Bill just because he yelled at me, so I shook my head. Figuring if nothing else, it was unlikely that Eric would actually kill Bill if I was there.

She shrugged reminding me eerily of Pam, "Suit yourself. I'll call you tomorrow and we can talk about our new arrangements."

I nodded absently, but let's face it, Eric was choking the life out of Bill right in front of me – or at least he would have been if Bill had needed to breath – making it a little difficult to concentrate on what she was saying.

"Eric," Bill hissed clawing at Eric's hand. "How can we fight a hand maiden of the Gods? You negotiated with the maenad. You must give this Madeline what she wants. You must do your job!"

Eric's eyes narrowed, "And tell me Bill, since you think it so obvious, what does she want?"

Well, that kind of was a stumper, she hadn't been real specific, had she?

But I doubted Bill had been planning to answer the question anyway because he both of his hands at his throat now and although I knew he didn't need the oxygen, it was also pretty obvious that he was real uncomfortable. Equally obvious was the fact that Eric wasn't even breaking a sweat, you know, if he could. He squatted down to get closer to Bill. "Tell me Bill, is anything else upsetting you? You might as well get it all off your chest."

He released Bill, but neither of them moved. Bill stayed on his back on the table in front of me and Eric continued to squat right next to him as though Bill's next words were going to be a gigantic revelation.

"You can not fight the entire supernatural world in order to keep Sookie," he spat at Eric and although there was a lot of contempt in his voice, I noticed that he didn't try to sit up, but lay there waiting to be dismissed like a good little vampire minion.

"Go home Bill and think about it. If you are going to give me trouble over this, you'll need to leave the area. I have plenty of trouble right now without a lot of whining from you."

Eric stood and made some sort of dismissive motion with his hand. Bill sat up and to my surprise Pam shot over and started speaking to him softly. Eric smiled at me and said, "Almost, love."

He leaned down next to Bill again and said, "You are a good fighter Bill. And smart. You're young, but you've always been loyal. I don't know what you've been told, but I protect my people."

They stared at each other for a moment and then Bill nodded. The crisis seemed to be past. Eric looked over at Alcide and said, "Call me once you've had the damages assessed, we can discuss it."

Alcide nodded.

He looked at me. It was quite a look. "Ready?"

I nodded and he lifted me into his arms.

"I can walk," I protested, but I think tonight it was more out of habit than anything else. I was bone tired and didn't mind having the opportunity to lean against him even if it was only going to be for a few minutes. For those few minutes I really welcomed it.

He whispered softly into my ear, "I know. I just want to have you close."

And like I said, I was more than okay with that. We flew back to Pam's leaving her the car.

When we arrived at Pam's Eric carried me through the main room, past the guest room and into the master bedroom – it was beyond rude, but to say that he and Pam had an unusual relationship would be putting it mildly. "Where are we going?" I asked. Although what I really meant was: why are we going in here? I knew he found the way I (and every other human) used language in such an imprecise way – asking one thing when we really meant something else or dancing around a topic because it might be touchy – but I was just too tired to bother about it. I knew he'd answer my real question anyway.

"Pam has a Jacuzzi tub," Eric answered the proper question, the one I hadn't asked, as I'd known he would. "And you look sore."

He carried me through Pam's bedroom and into the bathroom and then silently reached over to run the bath. He set me down and I undressed, but noticed that he made no move to do so. Once I was settled in the bath complete with scented bubbles, he leaned against the wall facing me and stretched his long legs out in front of him. We were facing each other but I would have had to scoot all the way down to the end of the tub to touch him.

"You have been thinking away all night," he said. "What are you thinking?"

"Connections," I said and was rewarded with an intrigued arch of an eyebrow. I sort of hated it that Eric thinking I was intelligent gave me a rush of pride. I didn't hate the fact that I wanted him to be proud of me; I hated that I still questioned my own intelligence. Although some of Bill's comments tonight might have had a thing or two to do with my sudden rush of insecurity. Thanks Bill because insecurity is the gift that just keeps on giving. No one knows that better than me.

"Where are the connections here? She's here for warriors right? That's what she does."

Eric nodded.

"So where's she taking them then? Why does she think she could get a good price for me? Why would she want you to go? And then it's kind of weird, but did you notice, she said that she wanted you to follow, but she's never come near you until we came to find her."

He looked a little grim, "Yes, I had noticed that."

I contemplated the bubbles for a moment they smelled fantastic and were kind of tingliy around me and I could think of better things to do with my evening than decoding Madeline when I looked at them. Especially when I looked at them and then looked at Eric leaning his head against Pam's bathroom wall looking delicious although frustrated and not in any kind of fun, sexual way.

"So what do you think that means?" I had a thought, but I wanted him to say it first.

"I think it means that one of her connections is a vampire. One that I know."

I sighed, "That's what I think it means too." Seriously, this was getting a little old. There had to be other telepaths out there – find one of them. I was taken.

We looked at each other for a moment and then he repeated it, "We think she is selling the warriors to a vampire then. One that I know. Not that that narrows it down all that much, I've met a lot of vampires through the years, but she's here so it's likely that the vampire is nearby as well." And after another silent moment said, "Could you read her at all?"

I was about to shake my head and then I thought for a moment. And spoke slowly, "I couldn't hear her like I do humans or even shifters. I…it…there was something, but I couldn't understand it. I don't think she really likes what she's doing though."

Again with the eyebrow, "Why do you think that?"

I shrugged. "I can't really explain it. It was just a strong feeling that she's…lost."

Eric nodded seeming to take the information in and then he smiled at me, "You are losing all your bubbles."

I smiled at him, "You want to join me before they all disappear?" His joining me didn't have anything to do with whether or not there will still bubbles, I just wanted a reason to offer.

Almost before I could blink he was settling himself into the tub with me. As we shifted around allowing him to slide in behind me without half the water ending up on Pam's floor, I said softly, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"You've slept with Madeline?" I felt embarrassed by the question and wished I hadn't asked it almost as soon as it left my mouth, but I knew I wasn't going to be able to get it out of my head.

I could feel his body tense underneath me, but he responded lightly, "I suppose we've never had the 'ex' conversation have we? The one where humans go through there past relationships with each other before starting a relationship."

"Well," I sighed. "You know about all my exes and I kind of figured most of yours were dead, so why go there."

He snorted with laughter, but didn't actually say anything else so I continued, "But then, I guess they aren't all dead. Maybe what I'm asking is if there's anybody else still walking around that we're going to run into." And then I thought of all those fangbangers and how closely related feeding and sex were to vampires and I amended. "I mean is there anyone that mattered that I don't know about. That I need to. You know, either because they mattered so much or because they're going to try to kill one of us."

Silence. Long silence. I could hear the water swishing in the tub, but Eric had gone so still I might as well have been leaning against the tub wall as his chest. When I couldn't stand it anymore I prompted, "Eric."

"I am thinking," he replied.

Oh lord, that did not sound good! Which I pointed out to him and was rewarded with a laugh. "I am thinking how best to answer you not of an enormous list. Is that what you think Sookie that there are so many I can not remember them?" I could feel that he was smiling.

"It is difficult to explain, a vampire has such a long life and things that are taken out of context will not make sense. Also, I can not say who will try to kill us or why in the future. Are there people that I have slept with that still walk the earth – other than Pam -- yes. Can I see that they could change how I feel about you, no. Were there very many that mattered, no, in fact there have been very, very few. And not all of those mattered in a good way as you have. Is that a sufficient answer?"

I thought for a few moments before answering. Was it a sufficient answer? Hadn't he just told me the only truth you could ever have in any relationship? Maybe there were others in the past, but they weren't the present or the future. All he could promise was to love me.

I turned to look up at him, "It's the perfect answer."

His arm tightened around my waist and he flipped us so that I was now pressed against the back of the tub and looking him in the eyes. "I'm sorry you were hurt tonight."

"Again," I corrected.

"I'm sorry you were hurt again."

I leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the jaw for no reason other than it was convenient. "Your apology after the maenad was better."

"I was still trying to get in your pants then."

I sighed dramatically, "Well that explains it then. Want to get in my pants now?"

The obvious comment would have been that I wasn't wearing any pants, but he didn't bother with it. He just went to work showing me how very much he still wanted to get in my pants. And I do appreciate a man that works hard.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Thanks to everyone that continues to read this story. Your comments inspire me!! Also, it's important to note that this chapter was written before I read DITF, but edited afterward. This story breaks from canon after D&G. And I will try to keep my DITF influences out of it!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing in this sandbox. But thanks to Ms. Harris for creating it.**

I was half way across the family room, headed for the kitchen, wrapped in a towel, when I saw Pam sitting on the sofa watching television. She was watching a recording of Dr. Phil while flipping through Martha Stewart Living. If I hadn't known Pam, I would have done a double take assuming that no one could be that "female." She was wearing pink and white toile flannel pajamas and looking bored. She looked up when she heard me and huffed, "Finally, you're out of my bathroom and I can go to bed."

Then she shot a look toward the armchair. It's back was to me and I noticed for the first time that there was someone in it. Someone with dark hair. "If you want to talk to him now, it appears he's available…finally."

I raised my hand to secure my towel and looked Bill right in the eye as he rose from the chair. I'm certain I blushed although I wished I hadn't, after all, this was my home – okay, well it wasn't – but who asked him to yell at me and then pop by afterward. Eric followed me out of the bedroom a moment later also wrapped in a towel…yum…I mean, awkward. He leered at Pam, "Sorry, we kept you awake." And headed into the kitchen without acknowledging Bill.

"Yes," Pam snapped. "Seeing as you were making use of my tub, I thought I'd wait up. Considerate of me I know, but according to Dr. Phil there is a gardener and a flower in every relationship – clearly, I am the gardener in this one. Although, frankly Sookie, I don't think you should take advantage of that." Me? How had I come into it?

She shut her magazine firmly and rose, "Unless you're inviting me to join you for the rest of your evening, I guess I can use my room now, yes?" The way she stressed the word evening, I guess everyone was supposing there was more sex in my future. Personally, I didn't know if I could take it. It had been a long night and I was sort of just ready to snuggle.

"By all means," Eric said from the doorway of the kitchen and waved his hand toward the bedroom grinning at her. She snapped back at him in another language and he laughed and blew her a kiss. I couldn't help but notice that she looked pleased or at least indulgent – irritated, but loving. He went to the kitchen and I heard him open up the refrigerator and root around in it for a moment before sticking his head back out and ask me, "Didn't you go shopping? There's hardly anything for you here."

I glanced at Bill, took a firm hold of the top of my towel and went into the kitchen. "There's microwave meals and stuff." I opened the freezer and took out a Lean Cuisine lasagna.

"That looks vile," he commented. It didn't look fantastic that was true, but I wasn't going to buy groceries to keep at Pam's. We were leaving soon – I promised myself we were leaving soon. I shrugged and said, "I guess it's kind of like True Blood. It'll keep me alive."

He grinned at me and threw it in the microwave, "I like you alive." He eyed the towel and I began backing away, very slowly. In no way did I want to give the impression of running and this being any kind of fun chase scenario. Vampires love to chase and in Colorado, we'd had a lot of property…that had been fun. Unfortunately, I didn't know the house that well and had back myself into the wall. Pinning me with his eyes Eric called into the other room, "Bill, you needed something."

Bill entered the kitchen and bowed just a little. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior this evening," he said formally to Eric. I was kind of miffed he was apologizing to Eric. I was the one that got called stupid, but whatever, I wasn't going to get all worked up about their messed up ideas as to what passed for courteous. I wouldn't have thought Bill would be here apologizing quite so soon after the bar, but I guess whatever Pam had said to him after we'd left was convincing. Personally, I didn't want to know what it had been.

Eric nodded taking the apology as his due and stated, "I believe Sookie's customs would require you to apologize to her as well."

And we all stood there. Eric looking pleased with himself, and Bill and I with our mouths hanging open. I wondered if Eric would have asked that of any other vampire or if he would only have asked this of Bill. I wondered if there was any other vampire in the entire world that would have even considered it. And in the silence, there was a loud bang from the microwave.

"Did you peel back the plastic?" I accused from across the room.

Eric looked baffled, "Isn't the whole thing plastic?"

I made a face at him and went to assess the damage. Lasagna dripped from every side of the microwave. "You have to peel back the plastic or it explodes," I went to the sink and wet a sponge and handed it to him. He looked at it for a moment before taking it and handing it to Bill, who had come over to survey the damage.

Bill looked repulsed.

"Oh give me a break," I snapped and yanked the sponge from Bill's hand and snapping at Eric. "Could you get me a robe at least?"

He grinned, "With deep regret. There is no way that towel would stay up through cleaning the microwave. I'm amazed it's held on this long."

"That can't be that exciting. You just saw it all 15 minutes ago," and maturely stuck my tongue out at him.

His eyes focused on my tongue as he purred, "Is that an offer?" I snapped my tongue back into my mouth and blushed hotly. He laughed and wandered off to get me my robe calling out, "As to the naked part, it is always exciting when you get naked lover."

"Right back at ya," I mumbled under my breath attacking the microwave with the sponge.

"I heard that," he called from the bedroom.

Bill was looking at me with compressed lips and a closed expression and then said, "It pains me to say it, but you suit each other. I had always worried it might be the case."

I arched my eyebrow at him – just loving the usefulness of it, "You know me well."

He stared again looking pained, "I am sorry that I yelled at you earlier. I have not been myself the last three years."

And the guilt gnawed at the pit of my stomach. It was not my fault, what had happened to Bill, but if the last three years had been rough on him, well, you couldn't avoid the fact that I had played a role. "I'm sorry for your pain," I said slowly and he reached out and ran his hand down my arm. I backed away, let's keep in mind I was wrapped in a towel and starting to get cold. And we were all just getting along for about thirty seconds so I didn't want Bill putting his hand near my almost naked anything and ruining it all. "Bill, I'm sorry for your pain, but I can't fix it. And yelling at me isn't going to make it go away."

Eric came in and handed me my robe and without a word left again. That surprised me. I guess he figured that this needed to get settled. He couldn't really have Bill making a big dramatic scene every time we were in a room together; we were in the same room far too often. It would get tedious.

"What happened to you was awful," I said softly wrapping myself in my robe and then once it was firmly tied yanking the towel down from underneath it. This trick takes some practice, but it's quite handy once you learn it.

"I know because what happened to me was really awful too. And for months I…" How much did I really want to share with Bill about what had happened to me in the aftermath? Did he need to know that I hadn't been able to get out of bed? Or that I cried and cried, sometimes until I was sick? Or that the night that we ran Eric had shown up at my window because de Castro was on his way to my house and he'd known I couldn't take it. He'd known because I woke up screaming every night. And that night, the night he'd dragged me out of my window with an overnight bag and headed off for parts unknown, I hadn't showered or eaten in three days. Probably it would have been good for me to tell him all that, but I'd locked it away so deep that it didn't need to come out ever again.

And I knew that the things that Eric had told me about his early days as a vampire and his life with Appius, things that had made me feel like you could survive even when someone hurts you over and over again, none of those things needed to be shared with Bill.

So I just said, "You need to find a way to live with your anger. I did and you can too."

And I left room.

Eric was reading in bed when I got to the room. He didn't say anything, but flipped back the covers and pulled them back up when I climbed inside. He offered no additional comment when I put my head against his chest and cried, yet again, over everything that had been permanently damaged that day. I fell asleep like that. And when I awoke the next afternoon, I had a thought.

I went about my morning in the usual way considering it wasn't really morning at all, but more like early afternoon. I made coffee, called Agent Weiss and made an appointment to talk with HR the following day, and then I made a list of errands that needed to run and things that would have to be done before we moved. One of them was going through several storage lockers where Pam had told me she had stored Eric's stuff after we made our dash for freedom. She said she had always suspected we'd come back, but had sold Eric's house and some of his belongings to make it seem like she really expected us to be gone for good. And although I saw the wisdom in that, I wished there'd been a house just waiting for us. Even my house at this point with its limited vampire amenities would still be better than all this waiting. But since my old house had a big hole where the living room used to be, I'd just have to make the best of things. Once all that was complete, I went out and did some grocery shopping because Eric had been right, I couldn't live on frozen meals, and went home to sit out in the sun and wait for my vampires to wake up.

I felt Eric come alive from the kitchen where I'd been making dinner and popped a blood in the microwave for him and another for Pam because I figured she couldn't be far behind. I was standing there waiting for it to ding when I felt a soft kiss on my neck and turned to find Eric standing behind me. I smiled at him and handed him the blood. We sat at the table and I was glad that Pam had not come in yet. Quiet moments like this had been plentiful when we were away, but were practically non-existent now that we were back. Eric must be feeling the same because he had not bothered to dress but had just come to find me. "How was your day?" he asked and I went through the things that I had done. I held his hand as I spoke and he idly rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb. For a moment I considered telling him to get in the car that we were getting the hell out of here. I wondered if he'd do it and then decided it didn't pay to think on it. We weren't going anywhere anymore and if we did, they'd come for us faster this time.

"You're anxious," he said softly. "You were when I awoke as well." And then he waited.

I sighed, "Well, I have something to talk to you about. I had a thought."

"A thought," he repeated watching his thumb, as though he was not connected to it, still making lazy circles on the back of my hand.

"About Madeline," I clarified.

He did not respond, but simply looked at me. Patient. All the time in the world, which he did in fact, have. "Well…" I hedged. I don't know why I was so edgy about this. It was the logical, practical plan. I had no reason to suspect that he would balk at it. Of course, that wasn't entirely true. I had enough reason to suspect that he would. Hallow was the first reason and some knowledge of his early vampire life was the second, but I wasn't purposing anything like that exactly.

"I think you should call Madeline. I think she'd be receptive about talking to you about what she wants."

"Receptive?" And we looked at each other for a moment. I was going to tell him that I would never ask him to sleep with her to get information. In fact, if he did it might kill me, but he already knew that. I could tell by the cocky way he'd said receptive. If he hadn't been certain that I would never ask him any such thing, he would have sounded wary. Also, I could feel his certainty through the blood bond just as he could feel my assurance that I'd never ask him to do anything that he hurt him – like be used for sex.

"She trusts you," I said cautiously, still aware that the situation was delicate despit the blood bond. I tried hard not to use the bond to communicate that just seemed lazy and you know what they say, you have to work at a relationship! For Eric, it was one thing to betray someone that was devious and ruthless, but to betray someone who trusted him was another. "I think she almost needs our help."

He smiled at me, "You want to help an immortal being. You are worried about her?"

I frowned. Immortals were always so overconfident. Being difficult or even impossible to kill didn't mean you couldn't be hurt – Madeline obviously had a lot of emotional scars. "I think she might need our help," I protested. "She seems really damaged."

He rose and said, "I need to take care of some things, but I will meet with her if that is what you would like."

I sat there. Now that he was going on my advice, I felt uncertain. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

He shrugged, "I think that your instincts are better than people credit. I think that she probably does need some sort of help. I don't know that I can give it, but it seems as good away as any of finding out what we want to know."

I followed him out of the kitchen and through the living room not exactly arguing against my plan, but definitely feeling nervous about it. "You'll be safe?"

He turned and faced me and smiled, "Of course love. Why are you so worried?"

Now it was my turn to shrug. I didn't have a good reason for my uncertainty, maybe it was just the stress of the last several days, but anxious tears seeped out of my eyes even as I told myself it was a good plan. "Eric," I whispered. "If anything ever happened to you…I…" I moved forward and rested my head on his chest, "I love you so much," I said softly. He lifted my face to his. "Such an unusual outpouring Sookie. You are frightened of Madeline?"

I nodded or as much as I could with my chin caught between his index finger and thumb. "Maybe I should just meet with Quinn instead –"

I didn't have a chance to finish that statement because he growled fiercely, "You ridiculous, stubborn woman! I am going to chain you in Pam's basement if I hear those words again. Quinn is insane and you are mortal!"

Ok, that annoyed me. Nothing like threatening to chain someone in a basement to ruin a tender moment. All those sweet feelings and tears that I was shedding over his dumb Viking butt dried right up. "Fine, then!" I snapped. "Go and get yourself ripped apart by some minor deity, see if I care!" I whirled around and headed back toward the kitchen, planning to go out for a while to let us both cool off. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him "I don't think so Sookie," he growled and looked me in the eye. "Running away from this conversation is unacceptable."

I imagine I looked angry and petulant because that is exactly how I felt. He walked toward our bedroom and I had no choice but to follow because he wasn't letting go of my arm. Inside the bedroom, he shut the door firmly and propelled me toward the bed. For lack of anything better to do, I sat down on it and waited. Obviously, he had something he wanted to say.

"You are frightened for me," he said. "You must know I feel the same way with regards to you and yet it does not stop you from throwing yourself into danger. What you've suggested is not dangerous however. As you say, I know Madeline and I think she will tell me what she can. I do not believe she is necessarily our enemy, but merely serving her own purpose. Quinn, I believe, is our enemy, or at least he is mine."

I nodded. I'd actually had similar thoughts. Eric knelt in front of me. "Do you not trust me lover?"

I nodded mutely, tears threatening to spill over again. When I thought of anything bad happening to him, I felt ill. I did not know how I would cope. I longed for a time in my life when I hadn't ever thought that anything bad would happen to anyone that I loved, but it was so removed from the place I was now that I could hardly even remember it. I was not that person anymore.

On days when I was in a very morbid mood, I would sometimes wonder what would happen to me if Eric was killed or taken. And although I knew it was unlikely that I would have much choice in what happened to me if that were to occur, because it would likely mean that someone more powerful than Eric was taking me, I tried to imagine going back to my life before I'd met Bill – waiting tables, marrying a mortal man -- and it seemed surreal. I was not that person anymore. I could never be that person again.

I ran my hand along the side of Eric's face, "Of course I trust you, I just don't know how I would live without you. Obviously, I would, but the sadness is almost unimaginable to me."

He looked very sad for a moment and then replied, "Yes, I try not to think of what it will be like." Because of course, for Eric, it was the reality that he lived with every day. I would die and he would not.

"Be careful," I said flatly. "And don't you dare cheat on me."

He grinned, cocky, self-assured, the depressing, heart-wrenching conversation already being put aside, "Perhaps you should show me why it wouldn't be worth it." And then looking at his position between my legs he smiled slowly, "Or perhaps I should convince you that I would not consider the possibility."

I felt a little fire start between my thighs and inched closer to the coolness of his body. "Convince away," I purred and he reached his hands up under my skirt to slide my underwear down my thighs very slowly before lowering his mouth to me.

When we arrived at Fangtasia later that night I felt completely relaxed about everything. I saw Madeline sitting in the booth in the back corner and I waved cheerily and went to sit in Eric's office. It wasn't all the sex, part of it was that cheery just seemed to be some sort of default setting with me, but the sex sure helped. I sat down at the bar, but before I could even order a drink Pam came over and shooed me into the office. When I demanded to know why I was being hidden away she laughed and replied, "Your sitting at the bar smiling like a deranged beauty queen is bad for business."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. All the characters belong to Charlaine Harris.

There's a longer author's note at the bottom.

Since I hadn't brought a book with me to Fangtasia that evening, I wandered around the office for a moment or two wondering what to do with myself. I didn't want to touch too much because this was really more Pam's office than Eric's now and I felt weird going through her stuff. Going through Eric's stuff wouldn't have bothered me in the least.

I looked around wondering what to do since I wasn't supposed to be out in the bar and decided it would be okay to check my email. Not many people emailed me, but it gave me something to do. If I got through all my email I could also look up stuff about Valkyrie's on the Internet.

I was turning on the computer when I noticed a manila folder sat on the desk that was labeled, Eric and Sookie. I wouldn't like to think that I'm nosy by nature and I know that you should trust others, but the last several years have made me considerably less trusting that I might have once been and if there is a folder with my name on it that I've never seen before, well, I'm going to look. Which is why I opened the folder. It all just appeared to be paperwork and then I looked at it a little more closely.

It was paperwork for getting married – human married -- in Vermont. Eric had signed it all. All of his stuff was there. And all my stuff too. Briefly, I wondered how they had pulled this all together without my knowing. I mean where had they gotten a copy of my birth certificate, but I probably didn't want to know.

It was also interesting to note that Eric needed permission from his king to marry a human, even by human laws. I guess that was to make certain everyone was okay with the arrangement and there wasn't going to be any blood shed. According to the form, normally, you went to your Sheriff. But there were several copies of letters that Eric had written requesting the details for procedures for a Sheriff to get married out of his own state. The first couple of letters came back that it couldn't be done; those were a three years old. But probably most interesting of all was that de Castro had signed the papers, which meant he was okay with Eric and I getting married. Interesting. Maybe he wasn't actually bad, just kind of a slimeball. Maybe he even kind of liked the idea. What better way to keep Eric under his thumb than to have signed off on our marriage. The workings of the vampire mind amazed me.

I'd been happy a lot over the last three years, but right at that moment I felt out and out joy. He loved me enough to do all this. Some might have said that giving up everything and running away with me for three years was pretty good proof too and they'd be right. But, as I sat in the office staring at this folder, I realized I wanted this. If Louisiana didn't allow vamp-human marriage, then I still wanted to be married. I really wanted to leave the office to tell him how much I appreciated it all. But I wasn't about to bust in on his meeting with Madeline and smother him with kisses over some paperwork I wasn't even supposed to know about.

Eric had always acted like vampire married was good enough, but it wasn't like I could tell the ladies at the church social that I was vampire married, not that I went to many church socials these days. For the first time in my years with Eric, I allowed myself a few moments to daydream about my wedding. I lay down on the couch, took off my shoes and just dreamed about what it would be like. And although it was sort of hard to picture, I worked at it until I came up with something – something really nice. Once I had a good picture in my mind, I drifted off to sleep. Which is why I didn't expect anything.

Pam was shaking me roughly and when I didn't respond right away, she simply lifted me to my feet snapping, "Sookie, we've got to go."

I looked at her blankly mostly aware that something in my mouth tasted really foul and I had a vague headache. Pam just looked annoyed, grabbed my bag and clapped her hands right in my face. "Let's go," she snapped.

I rocketed to my feet and started to follow her out of the office. At the last moment, I turned and went back for the folder. I have no explanation for why I did this. I think somewhere in my head was a plan that I wanted to tell Eric that I wanted to do it. We needed to head to Vermont and get it done, soon, now. I was tired of having a vague marital status defined by whomever I happened to be talking to, I wanted to be "real" married. And I couldn't wait to tell him.

I had followed Pam out the employee entrance and sat down in the passenger seat of her Cayenne. As it roared to life and I fastened my seatbelt I said, "Where's Eric?"

"I have no idea," Pam said curtly. Excuse me? What the hell was she talking about? I couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour. I glanced at my watch – less than that.

"He left the bar?" I asked Pam surprised that he would leave without saying goodbye.

Pam looked at me. "Oh yes," she said coldly. "He and Madeline both…poof right out of the bar."

Something terrifying was beginning to penetrate my sleep-logged brain. "Poof?" I repeated.

"More like bang," Pam clarified. Her voice sounded accusatory that told me something I didn't want to know.

"Madeline took him?" I asked slowly.

Pam glared at me, "Oh yes. Poor lost Madeline took him."

This was very bad. Eric was gone and Pam was seriously pissed at me. And I was dangerously close to losing it. Eric could not be gone. That was just not…couldn't be happening. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. We were speeding somewhere and I felt certain that we must have been racing toward him, right, weren't we?

"Where are we going?" I asked Pam still trying to understand the situation, but I had to struggle to get the words out my throat was so constricted. I knew that the sobs were coming and I didn't think Pam was going to be a sympathetic audience.

"I don't know," Pam snapped. "But I have to assume that the bar and my house aren't safe anymore." We drove on in silence for awhile. We seemed to be headed to Bon Temps. I guess we were going to stay with Bill, which was why it surprised me when Pam changed direction and headed to the mall. She parked the car and sat there for a long silent moment and then said in a subdued voice, "Sookie can you feel him?"

I had never known Pam to be subdued and the fact of it scared me more than any single thing that had happened in the last thirty minutes. I reached into myself and searched the bond, just having renewed it earlier that night it should be strong. I felt for Eric and he was there and he was pushing at me. Hard. "He's fine," I said softly. "Not safe, but not hurt."

She exhaled loudly in the quiet of the car. I felt something else. It was strange I could almost hear him.

And then I started to cry softly, "He loves us."

She seemed to soften slightly although I didn't think it was toward me. "Get out," she said. And for a terrible second I thought Pam was leaving me in that parking lot. Not that I would have blamed her entirely. I sort of thought maybe I should get left there – Eric was gone and I felt responsible. My fear that she would dessert me must have been clear on my face because she snapped, "I'm not leaving you here. He'd kill me. Slowly. We need to stay someplace. We're leaving the car. I'll run us wherever we go."

I thought for a moment. "Will they be watching all the vampires in the area?"

She shrugged. "I would. But I don't know who is behind it, although I have my suspicions." I looked at her for clarification, but as she gave none I simply went through my limited list of places to hide. "How about my brother? It's not like we're known to be close. Maybe no one would be watching him."

"Or better yet hide us with some of the panthers."

I looked at Pam for a moment. I always sort of forgot that Jason was a WerePanther. "Yeah, I guess that would be better."

She nodded and grabbed my arm to sling me onto her back, "Let's go." And although she picked me up without issue I kind of got the feeling that she was so annoyed with me that she could barely stand to be close to me. Personally, I felt that was a little unfair. Eric had been down with this plan too. I wasn't completely alone in the blame, but I could also see that Pam probably didn't really care who was to blame, she just wanted Eric back. I knew exactly how she felt.

I banged on the door to my brother's house for all I was worth, desperately wanting to get inside and out of the night. Before I arrived here I was sad, terrified and cold, not necessarily in that order, and now I was also annoyed. I wasn't alone in my annoyance; Pam was pacing about like a caged lion and growled at me, "Even I would have woken by now. Is it possible he has died in there? Don't you have a spare key?"

"I've been gone for three years Pam and when Eric was yanking out of my bedroom window I didn't think to myself, you know what I need, Jason's spare keys!" Okay, we both might have been feeling a little snarky. It had been a rough night.

She was toe-to-toe with me before I could blink and I will tell you flatly, I was petrified. It's a sheer miracle I didn't pee in my pants. In all the times I had been threatened by vampires, I was not half as scared as I was with Pam glaring me down, not even when Long Shadow was about to rip out my throat. "Be very careful Sookie," she said coldly. "My patience is somewhat strained tonight. And although you are my friend, at this moment, you are also keeping me from helping my maker."

In other words, I was just a big old pain in her ass and only her fear of how angry Eric would be – or possibly their bond – was keeping her from leaving me to my own devices while she went to look for him. But the thing was, I would have been fine with that. So I squared off with her and snapped right back, "I'm fine Pam. Go look for him. I want you to go."

She stood for a minute, poised to run and then her shoulders seemed to sag, "I can't."

I had about a million questions as to why not, but that was the moment that Jason picked to open the door.

Looking sleep tousled and more than a little confused Jason asked, "Sookie?" As if he had twenty other sisters that might be banging his door down in the middle of the night.

"Can we come in?" Maybe that was the wrong thing to say because I saw him scrambled back half a step, no longer confused, but wary. He looked at me closely before making the determination that I was in fact still alive and hadn't come here to eat him.

"Eric with you?" he asked cautiously and I found it kind of funny that the same guy he'd been so keen on criticizing a couple of nights ago was now the one he was hoping was around, since clearly there was something wrong with me. I guess I looked kind of scary probably, I hadn't given it much thought.

"No," I said. "Pam."

Jason liked Pam well enough and nodded at her from the safety of his living room. He looked at us for a moment, clearly trying to decide and then taking a step back from the doorway, "Pam, Sookie, I invite you in."

I pushed past him even more annoyed now than I'd been before. I wasn't a vampire. I didn't need the invite I was just trying to be polite.

Inside I noticed that my parent's living room had undergone some changes. I remembered Jason telling me that he'd been dating someone, Michele. Obviously, she must be living here. Well, that was nice, I hope it worked out for them. Certainly, she had improved the living room, not that that would have been hard to do. And speaking of the devil, Michele herself appeared from the hallway to the bedroom, looking at Jason questioningly. He shrugged.

"We just need a place to stay tonight," I explained. That seemed to be enough information for Michele, who nodded and went back to bed. Well, how courteous could I expect her to be at three in the morning with a woman that had just brought a vampire into her home?

Pam, Jason and I stood in the living room for a moment, as though we were uncertain what to do next. I, at least, was uncertain what to do next; I can't speak for the other two. Jason, still trying to understand the situation, but sensing that things were not as they should be asked, "So where is Eric?"

And that was it for me; I could no longer hold back the waterworks. I hadn't been consciously holding in the tears, but now they exploded out of me like Fourth of July fireworks, complete with big, heaving sobs and snot, lots of it. These were not delicate ladylike tears, these were heartbroken, gut-wrenching, holy shit my whole life just fell apart tears. I sank down on the sofa, as I sobbed, my legs no longer able to support me.

"Wonderful," Pam growled. "You've made her cry Panther." She gestured to me as if there was anyone in a ten-mile radius that wasn't aware that I was crying. "Fix it," she snapped at my brother.

Jason clearly found Pam as scary as I did because he scrambled to the kitchen and got me a wad of tissues, which he thrust into my hand proudly like the tissues would fix everything. Unfortunately, although I would not have thought it possible, this act only made me cry harder and miss Eric more. All I could think of was that damn elevator in Dallas.

Pam squatted down in front of me and grabbed my shoulder, hard. I'd have a bruise in the morning for certain, but it did force me to look at her and slow my breathing somewhat, which was good because I was giving myself a headache. "Sookie, stop." I tried to obey. I'd never wanted to be glamoured more than I did at that moment. "You can not fall apart," she ordered. "I'll need to go to ground in a few hours and we have to have a plan if we're to find Eric."

'Wait," Jason had moved to sit on the sofa next to me and had placed his arm around me. I could hear him thinking that it seemed like a brotherly thing to do and wondering where the hell Eric was, taking care of me was really his thing. Jason was remembering something I couldn't deal with – Eric telling him that he should take me into his home – and I threw myself out of his head with such force that I jerked on the sofa and they both looked at me like I was about to go into convulsions. Once certain that I was not about to have some kind of a fit, Jason continued, "Let me call Cal. If the vamp sheriff is gone that's a pretty big deal for all the local Supes."

Pam made a dismissive gesture with her hand and sat down next to me on the sofa. Since I knew she was mad, I was surprised when she wrapped her arm around me. Trying to pull myself together I wiped at my face with the tissues and blew my nose loudly. Pam looked vaguely disgusted, but she could pretty much kiss my ass, did she think blood tears were attractive? Because if so, she was way wrong.

"I know you are afraid, Sookie," she said. "But if they wanted him dead I believe he already would be."

"So what do you think they want?"

She looked at me and smiled a disconcerting and fangy grin, "Going on the law of averages, I would assume that whoever has him wants you."

"So why not just take me?"

She shrugged. "I guess we'll find out."

A/N: Sorry about the cliffie…especially when you read the rest of this note!As always, thanks for reading and if you choose to review, thanks for that too. I love the feedback. I've been trying to post every week, but I'm on vacation next week so it might be two weeks until I post again. Also, believe it or not we're getting toward the end. I don't know exactly how many more chapters, but we're definitely getting there. Thanks again for all your great feedback.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Hi all, if you are re-reading this story you'll note that there is a change. Thank you to the people who pointed out to me that I was wrong about Pam's age when she was turned. It's been bothering me so I changed it, so here's a new version. Still no beta so all mistakes are my own!

I felt a large hand slide under my borrowed t-shirt to cup my breast and turned in the bed, surprised to no longer be alone. "You're here," I whispered pleased that things had worked out so easily. I started to say that I had to go tell Pam when his thumb brushed across my nipple and I shivered.

"No," was his equally soft reply as his other hand, the one that wasn't sending sparks through my body, brushed the hair away from my forehead. "You are dreaming."

I shook my head in disbelief. That wasn't possible. Eric had never been able to get inside my head.

I shook my head, wanting to argue about how that couldn't be happening, but instead I pressed up against him and purred, "But I can feel you." At some point, I would have to think about the lack of connection between my brain and my mouth where Eric was concerned. What I was thinking never seemed to be what came out of my mouth.

He smiled and shifted slightly so that we were pressed together down the length of our bodies. "We've never done this before I suppose, but you know that you can hear me. This is the same; it's not like a glamour. Or making you heel." His hand snaked down my stomach to make small circles on my hip. "Which, you know, I would never do. This is not as enjoyable as if I was really here, but I did not want you to be lonely."

He leaned forward and kissed me possessively. He wasn't the only one feeling possessive, we were devouring each other and the next thing I knew I had rolled on top of him kissing his face, his ears, his neck, pulling my t-shirt over my head as I went. "I do miss you," I moaned between kisses. "Ridiculously. Horribly. It's only been a couple of hours and I feel like I'm going out of my mind. It's not normal."

He flipped me underneath him with a terrifying speed and snarled, "I don't give a fuck about normal." And as his tongue ran down my body I decided that I didn't really give a fuck about normal either. I yanked him back up my body to look in my eyes, "That's not what I want right now." And just in case he was feeling slow, moved my hips a little bit to get my meaning across.

He chuckled and positioned himself properly, "You do miss me, lover. It's because you're scared. It has nothing to do with normal. It has to do with fear. You must not be afraid. Madeline is honorable and I am safe enough for the moment. She will honor her contract. If I must fight to keep you; I will."

Probably, everything he was telling me right now was really important but he was just lying there, not moving, and having a really long monologue about another woman, as if the not moving thing wasn't bad enough. I didn't really care at that moment about any of the things he was telling me; all I cared about was his sliding several inches forward – hopefully over and over again until I screamed. I looked up at him and said in my best imitation of Eric, "I don't give a fuck about Madeline."

He shook his head at me, but got down to business.

When we were through he lay next to me and whispered softly in my ear, "Sookie, be safe. Be careful."

"Of course," I whispered back teetering on the edge of sleep.

'Sookie," he said again. "Remember what I have told you. I will fight for you."

I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open and couldn't really understand why that was such an important point. If anyone had asked me three days ago I would have said that if given the opportunity Eric would, of course, fight for me. Not because he'd evere told me this, but because Eric loved to fight. Probably, I sounded a little snappish when I replied, "So now you're all hot to die for me too."

He looked offended, "Bill might plan on dying when he enters a fight; I do not." Whatever. I'd deal with soothing the big vampire ego when I woke up. "Sookie," he said again.

I mumbled something unintelligible.

"Sookie."

"What, Eric? I'm tired."

"Jason is calling you."

"Sookie!"

I opened my eyes and saw my brother staring at me from the doorway. I flushed and struggled to right myself in the bed before remembering that I may or may not still be wearing a t-shirt. I wasn't too clear on how "dream sex" worked. Had I actually gotten naked? I knew at least one thing that had actually happened. Fortunately, I was still dressed, apparently only the orgasm had been real – well if there was a part that was going to be real that was a good one. Unfortunately, I was also tangled up in the bed sheets like…well, like someone who'd been having possessive sex with a missing vampire. Jason cleared his throat and I heard embarrassed, confused thoughts going through his head. The thoughts never fully materialized, which I was thankful for, he just knew there was something off about the picture he was seeing – his sister, missing fiancée, alone in a bedroom, looking like she's been ravished. The thought that came through clearly was that he didn't want to examine it too closely, "You want breakfast before we head over to Cal's?"

I yanked my legs free of the sheets and managed to croak out, "Coffee?"

He nodded, already beating a hasty retreat out of the weird situation, "Yeah, sure, we got coffee."

Then he did a very un-Jason thing, "You okay?"

I nodded and tried to say something, but couldn't think of anything so I smiled. But of course, Jason had known me all my life and he knew that big, crazy smile meant I wasn't okay. It was just the first time in a long time that he had thought to care

He frowned a little at the smile, "I know I haven't been the best brother, but if you need something…I am your brother."

I wiped the smile off my face and reached for his hand, "Thank you. I'm better today."

He nodded happy to have gotten that out of the way and went to pour me a cup of coffee. While we ate I had a nice chat with Michele. She seemed okay. Jason said he'd be back after work to take me to Hot Shot. We'd worked out the night before that Pam would meet me there. Michele was gone a few moments later and I was left to start the task of finding Eric.

As planned, I moved to Hot Shot that evening. Jason drove me over to Cal's with a couple of bags full of new clothes that Michele and Amelia had purchased that day – separately, they weren't friends. He told me that he and Michele would come to a barbecue at Cal's on Saturday and that would be the next time he'd see me. He didn't want to come out too often. After that, we pretty much drove out there in silence.

For my part, I was thinking over my conversation with Agent Weiss, where I told her I needed to move back my start date. She'd been pretty receptive. I guess even the FBI doesn't really want someone working there that may or may not be a target in some vague plot involving numerous supernatural beings. I couldn't blame them, to say I was starting to find it tedious would be an enormous understatement.

Also, I was feeling more than a little nervous about staying with Cal and Tanya Norris. Tanya and I had a history and it wasn't the best. I was more than a little worried it was going to be uncomfortable. And I had no idea what I was going to do with myself all day. Help Tanya take care of the kids? I didn't know what I could really do to help find Eric. When I'd gone to look for Bill it was largely Eric's plan, I'd just sort of followed it. Of course, a lot happened along the way that I'd come up with, but my problem here was I didn't know how to start.

When Pam arrived that night, I saw that she didn't have that problem. Her first order of business had clearly been to go shopping, somewhere other than the Bon Temps area because these clothes did not come from anywhere around here, and come up with a disguise. Literally, I did a double take, I wouldn't have recognized her if I had fallen over her. She was wearing skinny jeans, a skin tight t-shirt with a dragon up the front and Uggs. Her hair was liberally streaked with purple and she had it in two braids that hung down her back from underneath a low-brimmed hat. She had a nose ring. Looking at her, it really hit me that she'd only been nineteen when she was turned. Nothing more than a teenager – a college kid. She's so worldly that she'd just always made me feel like she was older than me – which of course she was, significantly – I'd never thought about how old she'd been as a human. But I suppose what was really important right now was that she looked nothing like Eric's Ferragamo-sporting second-in-command. She looked like a teenager.

We stood in awkward silence for a few moments in Cal's backyard clearly uncertain what to say to one another after last night's emotional upheaval. Finally, Pam spoke, "This is not your fault," she said. It sounded rehearsed, but who was I to make a fuss about that. I'd practiced a number of things that I might say to her this afternoon. I didn't want her going off mad at me. And even though I didn't want her to be mad, I was also feeling irritable and mutinous over the fact that I was being parked in Hot Shot while she went off to look for "our guy." And I had no one to take it out on other than Pam – normally it would have fallen to Eric to get the nasty side of my temper.

"I never thought it was," I snapped back defensively. That was a bald-faced lie. I totally thought the whole damn thing was my fault, but I wasn't going to stand here in Cal's weed-infested backyard and admit that to Pam.

She smiled at me. It was a little on the fangy-side, but nothing like last night, "Alright then, Sookie my friend." She paused, "I'll come check on you every few days. Here is a number you can call if you really need me. Ask for Livy to call you."

"Livy?"

"My closest friend when I was human," she explained.

I could tell that Pam was getting ready to leave. Impatient to do her duty toward her maker, anxious to rescue her only family member, it all equaled the same thing, in a big old hurry to leave me here. I reminded myself again to be mature that Pam's going alone to look for Eric was what made sense and I was just being bratty if I put up a fuss. I really wanted to put up a fuss.

I opened my mouth wanting to say something and closed it again. Remembering that my Gran had told me that if I couldn't say something nice not to say anything at all. I looked up at the stars and felt frustrated by my own mortality and fragile human body. "I want to beg you to bring me with you, but I know I'd only slow you down." It seemed like honesty was the best policy here.

She grinned at me. It was strange to see "my" Pam looking out at me from this teenage façade, "And you're smart enough to know that I wouldn't give in to your desires as Eric would. He indulges you to point of idiocy Sookie."

"But never past it," I shot back. Defending Eric was becoming as habitual to me as breathing.

I should have realized that I would never need to defend him to Pam. She was probably the only person in the world that I thought might be willing to do things to protect him that I would not be able to bring myself to do. Of course, I was thrilled she existed because if I ever did need to do something that was beyond my tolerance level I could just call Pam. I've learned that having the desire to do something and actually committing the act are two different things – although not for vampires and certainly not for Pam. I know, it's shaky moral ground, to be willing call in a vampire to do something that you know you couldn't bring yourself to do, but I know my priorities. There are very few people in my life that I love. They won't be taken from me until I've exhausted every resource. Reminding myself of that made me feel more like I was dispatching Pam on an errand that she was better equipped for than I as opposed to feeling like a breakable item put up on a shelf and forgotten. And to be forgotten in Hot Shot was nothing I wanted for my life.

Pam was smiling at me and getting ready to say goodbye when I remembered something important. Grabbing her arm in excitement I said, "Eric came to me last night. In my dreams." Reflecting on this statement I thought there might have been a better way to put it. I sounded like a crazy person or at least I thought so. But Pam didn't. She covered my hand with her own, "That is very good. He must still be quite strong."

She didn't explain any further and I didn't get it. I made an explain gesture with my hand. She rolled her eyes at my ongoing ignorance of all things vampire. Like it was my fault that they were so secretive. "They can't be draining him or torturing him to badly if he's roaming about in your brain making dream booty calls."

I felt myself blush. Pam ignored my embarrassment, "What did he say then? The important parts only please – I've heard enough odes to your breasts to last me several lifetimes."

I knew my face must have gone from pink to crimson because she laughed in delight. "He says Madeline is honorable," I stammered. "And that he will fight to keep me. And that she'll honor her contract."

"Is that all?"

I nodded. And then added, "He said the part about fighting twice."

She looked thoughtful. "And he said fight? Not battle or war?"

I thought for a moment. Yes, he had said fight. I nodded.

Pam looked thoughtful again. "This is excellent information Sookie. Very useful. Thank you. It is so nice having you around."

And without even a goodbye she was gone into the night and I was left alone in Hot Shot to ponder what had been so useful about that information.

A/N: Back from vacation with a slightly shorter chapter than usual, but working on a long one. Thanks to everyone that continues to stick with this story. I get so excited about every story alert, review etc. I love hearing what people think!


	21. Chapter 21

I went to bed with eager anticipation that night hoping that when I finally fell asleep Eric would be there waiting for me. Sadly, I was disappointed. In fact, the next several days were pretty much torture – although having endured torture I knew that it wasn't that bad, even as I thought it. He wasn't there at night and I was bored out of my mind during the day. I played with Tanya and Cal's kids, helped with meals and surfed the Internet looking for information on Valkyries. There was a lot of information, but it wasn't terribly useful. I didn't dare email anyone for fear of it being tracked by the unspecified person that was after me. Pam didn't come by with any information and I hoped that she was all right, but didn't want to use the number she'd given me unless there was a real problem.

On my fourth morning I couldn't take the boredom anymore and told Tanya I was going to check out my house and see, if since I was here I could meet with some contractors to start getting the damage repaired. I hadn't had time to take care of that since the bomb had gone off. She frowned at me and argued for a minute or two before agreeing to lend me her car. We both knew that the arguing was just a front, she was as sick of having me underfoot as I was of being there.

As I drove up, it was hard to look at Gran's house all broken and blackened. I would go through and see what was salvageable and what I thought might need to be fixed. Then I could make a list of contractors that could do the job. At any rate, it would give me something to do.

There was crime scene tape around the property, but it was falling down in a lot of places. The investigation had been and gone. They hadn't found anything that had led them to anyone, big shock. Seriously, how did Bud Dearborn keep his job? Although maybe I was being unfair, when you become Sheriff in a town like Bon Temps, you mostly think you are going to be dealing with drunks, domestic disputes, maybe some robberies, you probably don't think murders and bombings. And as it turned out for Bud that was really not the case, it was no wonder he didn't like me much. He'd all but groaned when Sam had called him and told him about my house.

I looked at the house, gathering my courage to walk inside. Well, I suppose now was as good a time as any and walked around the back of the house to go through the back door. The foyer and the living room were the worst hit. The kitchen appeared to be mostly intact as was my bedroom and the downstairs bath. The guest room, which had once been my room, wasn't looking too hot though.

The house needed some work anyway. Three years without a regular resident had taken its toll and everything needed to be painted or wallpapered. Some of the furniture could stand to be replaced, although the appliances, still pretty new thanks to Charles Twinning burning down my kitchen, seemed to be holding up. And as I stood there, I desperately wanted to fix the house. I wanted to make it like my Grandmother had always talked about making it. And even though I didn't know if we'd ever live in it, I wanted to have it. Not that Bon Temps was exactly where people "countried," but whatever I was a telepathic barmaid that wanted to marry a vampire, it wasn't like I followed a lot of trends.

Okay, I needed a list. I went back out to Tanya's car to get my bag – cleverly I'd put in a pad and paper. After searching around for a few minutes, I stood pad and pencil in hand and happened to glance toward Bill's place. Quinn was striding toward the cemetery toward me. This was not good. Finding myself alone with the tiger that my fiancée thought was crazy definitely did not fall anywhere under the category of "Be Careful. Be Safe."

I had a feeling some sort of violence was about to befall me and I contemplated my options. I could run – and that was without a doubt my first impulse – but Quinn would catch me in no time. I could walk up to him and face what was coming head on. That seemed like the best option, although I didn't plan to go unprepared. I leaned across the driver side and reached into the glove compartment. After Pam had left, I'd found a box in my room with a big red bow. Inside, a handgun complete with a box of silver bullets. I loaded the gun and dropped the box of bullets in my handbag. I really didn't want to shoot Quinn if I didn't have to – not that I wouldn't if it came to that. I put the gun in the outside pocket of my bag and tried to hide it behind my arm, but somewhere that I could still get at it quickly. With my other hand I waved and plastered on a big old Sookie Stackhouse smile. "Hey Quinn, what brings you out here?"

He advanced on me not even bothering with the pretense that this was a friendly call. He was still in human form, but he looked like a tiger just the same. Well, if we weren't pretending, what the hell, I brought the gun out of my handbag and leveled it at him holding it firmly with both hands as Jason had taught me.

"Stop right there Quinn."

He stopped for a second looking startled as if he was trying to reconcile that the woman aiming a gun at him was once the woman that had gone to a play with him. Well, I was trying to reconcile that in my head too. And then he laughed, and not a friendly, 'you've got it all wrong' kind of laugh, more of a 'give me a break' kind of laugh, which really pissed me off.

"You're not going to shoot me Sookie," he sneered. Obviously, he didn't know me very well because I was absolutely going to shoot him if I thought he meant me harm.

"I may or I may not depending on your intentions here. Right now, your intentions don't see very good."

He looked at me coldly, "I think my intentions are excellent. You are under the thrall of a vampire and you're acting crazy. I'm going to help you come to your senses."

"Thrall? Are you frickin' serious?" I snorted. I tightened my grip on the gun.

"Yes, thrall. How can you not see what he is? It's always been like that. I knew it in Rhodes, every time I turned around, there he was, and even though you were saying you weren't interested, you never walked away. That's thrall – you're telling me you don't want him and yet…"

"Quinn that was like four years ago, more." Quinn was a threat, no doubt about it. And I wondered briefly what it was with ex-boyfriends and me. Why did they hang on like they did? Was it a supe thing? Give up! There are some things a relationships just don't bounce back from and being a member of some sort of posse sent to kill me, is definitely one of them. And yet, here Quinn and I stood. I was pointing a gun at him, pretty certain that he'd been involved in kidnapping my fiancée and he truly believed that any second I was going to realize that Eric was the bad guy. I tell you soap operas have nothing on me. It was so ridiculous I decided to change the subject.

"Do you know where Eric is?" I asked. Probably it sounded more like I was pleading. I hadn't meant to sound quite so whiney and desperate – it's embarrassing to be whiney when you are holding someone at gunpoint – but it just came out that way.

Quinn snarled at me and I took a step back and bumped into Tanya's car. "Eric, Eric, Eric," he mimicked. Well, that was just uncalled for.

But as pissed off as I was the feeling began to gnaw at me that shooting Quinn, a man that I had once thought I could love, was very different than shooting Debbie Pelt after she had shot at me. Maybe I could reason with him. I loosened my grip on the gun a little and relaxed my elbows.

He sensed my doubt and was on me before I could even get a word out. He was pushing me to the ground and I let out a few good screams before he shoved something in my mouth. I was on my stomach and he was binding my arms behind my back, which made me kick and fight like hell – fairy flashbacks. Once he had my wrists and ankles tied, he flipped me over. At this point, I was just thanking the heavens that he didn't seem to have rape in mind. But then when I looked at those large purple eyes, I felt less scared and angrier than I ever thought was possible. I had trusted this man, cared for him. And now, he betrayed me, twice.

He ran his hand softly down the side of my face. And smiled at me, "It's okay Sookie. I won't hurt you. Everything will be fine soon, you'll see."

He had tied me up and was kidnapping me. He'd brought back memories of the worst moments of my life. He had betrayed me. He'd already hurt me more than he could even comprehend, although I was hardly fool enough to believe that it couldn't get worse.

Maybe it was childish, but I wanted to hurt him back. I was feeling pretty woozy from whatever was on the cloth – some sort of drug I suppose - and I guess he was worried that I had a little too much because he removed the cloth from my mouth. I looked him in the eye and said, "Eric says the first thing you should do is render your victim speechless. I bet someone heard me screaming."

Of course, I doubted anyone had heard me. I live in the middle of nowhere and my nearest neighbor was dead for the day. If he was even there. He might be with Pam or she may have told him to get gone. I didn't know. I had just been trying to piss Quinn off. You would think pointing out that someone had less than proficient kidnapping skills wouldn't be an insult, but it was, the look on his face made that pretty clear. As I had known it would be. I had a brief moment of triumph before he punched me in the face. Effectively silencing me as the drugs had not. If I had had a moment before he knocked me cold I would have thought that it probably hadn't been worth it. Bastard.

I woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth and a splitting headache. My throat felt so dry I could hardly speak and I had no idea where I was. Normally, I would have gotten up and started my Nancy Drew routine trying to figure out what was going on, but Quinn packs quite a punch and I couldn't manage it yet.

I wouldn't have accomplished anything anyway because I'd pried my eyes open for all of thirty seconds when I heard, "Good evening Miss Stackhouse."

I looked around what appeared to be a very nicely furnished office, almost more like a library. I was sort of expecting to see Sherlock Holmes the way everything was furnished, but instead was greeted by the ever-smiling, always dapper Victor Madden. Had he saved me from Quinn or was he in on it?

"Or is it Mrs. Northman?

"Stackhouse," I managed to croak out. "Water?"

He handed me a bottle of water and sat in the brown leather armchair beside me. I was lying on a very nice matching couch. I sat up a little to drink the water and pushed my hair out of my face.

"And why is that?"

I looked at him blankly…why had I wanted water?

"Why do you not use Northman?" he clarified.

I sighed. Seriously, we were going to talk about this right now. "Well, I don't see us as married. I know we're vampire married. But I'm not changing my human name unless I'm human married, which I'm not. Since you know…I'm human." I'd just been kidnapped and punched in the face by my ex-boyfriend; I wasn't really at my most eloquent.

He smiled. "I see."

Great, so happy I could enlighten him. "Um, Mr. Madden, could I ask you something?" Sometimes vampires could get a little touchy if you just started hitting them with questions. I didn't want Victor Madden deciding I was rude.

He smiled more and nodded once. I wondered if that meant one question.

"Where am I?"

"You are in a club that I own. Quinn brought you in." Well, I guess that cleared up whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. Black hat for Victor please. Not that I didn't already think he was a bad guy. I had lots of reasons to think so.

"A club?"

"Yes," he said. "You'll be here for a few days. We don't have a lot of rooms for occupants and we're quite full with the upcoming event, but we're happy to have you nonetheless. I think it will make everything more dramatic."

Dramatic? What the hell was he talking about?

"Is Eric here?"

Madden stood and crossed the room to his desk. "Oh yes, I'm amazed you can't hear him. He's been roaring at me for the last hour since Quinn brought you in. I should send someone to tell him you are awake. He'll be relieved. He thought you might be badly injured." Was Eric in on it? I didn't think so. Because if Eric was in it then Pam would be too and it had been clear to me that she was not.

"Can I see him instead?"

Victor was flipping through papers on his desk. "I suppose that would be fine for a few moments. I can't have you two plotting your escape." Okay, clearly Eric was not in on it…whatever it was.

"Mr. Madden, if you don't mind me saying so, I'm kind of confused. Are we your prisoners?"

He smiled again at me looking up from his papers. "Is this the part Miss Stackhouse where I give my villains monologue and tell you what is happening?"

I shrugged and smiled back, "That would be helpful."

He laughed, "You are charming. And you smell wonderful. I understand why Eric chose to marry you in order to keep you. I would have done the same. It was clever."

I smiled harder. I didn't understand what was going on.

"However," Victor's voice hardened. "When he took you, he went too far. He interfered with my plans. And then, he brought you back. I cannot have the two of you here in Louisiana. This way, everyone wins…well, except Eric."

"And what about me? Do I win?" I didn't really see how that was possible. When you're married you share things and I was starting to get the feeling if Victor Madden had his way, we'd be sharing a horrible death.

Victor smiled, "I suppose that depends on your definition. I would prefer to keep you alive, but I do have an equally viable contingency plan in case you are not willing to cooperate. With the nauseating way the two of you have been cooing and cuddling your way around Shreveport, I imagine you will be uncooperative. It's less convenient, but hardly pivotal."

"Are you going to tell me what your plans are?"

He crossed the room and sat down in the armchair. "That doesn't seem very safe to me," he said in a patient voice. "I'm sorry Miss Stackhouse, but you are in fact, 'vampire married,' as you so charmingly call it, to Eric and despite what Quinn believes, I have to assume that your first loyalty is to him."

I narrowed my eyes at Victor Madden, "My only loyalty is to him."

He stopped smiling and said quietly, "I find it amazing how unafraid you are."

Well, that was a laugh, I was terrified. "I'm scared to death, Mr. Madden. That doesn't mean I need to sit here telling lies."

He leaned back in his chair, "What a refreshing attitude. The tiger wants you as his reward, but we'll have to see. I think that could be a terrible waste."

I didn't press him on that one. There was no way in hell I was going to be Quinn's anything – certainly not his reward, but why get into it. What I was getting was that Madden seemed to have some sort of master plan that involved killing Eric and keeping me around to do his bidding. And I was going to have to go ahead and say no thank you to that one as well, but again, probably not the time to bring it up. Quinn and I had to assume Madeline were in on it. And Eric and I were captured. Things weren't really looking so good.

"If you like, I'll take you to see Eric now."

I pushed myself to my feet. "Let's go."

The same sensation as the night I went to Fangtasia was engulfing me as I followed Victor down corridors. The closer I got to Eric, the more I felt it building inside me. If I didn't get to him soon I felt like I would explode and Victor was moving like molasses in January. What was this guy's problem? Wasn't he a vampire? He could tell I was impatient and started laughing, "Ah, love. It really is a shame. So rare to happen like this."

I just cut him a look and didn't respond. We had left his office and gone down a long corridor. There was an opening to my left that looked almost like some sort of event hall. But we kept going. It seemed to me like we were headed underneath the building.

Maybe five more minutes and we came to what were clearly cells. We passed through a couple of occupied ones. I didn't recognize any of the occupants and then several unoccupied ones. After another two minutes, we stood in front of a cell that held an occupant I did recognize, Eric paced the small room like a caged animal. When he saw me, he stopped. "Thank God," he breathed out.

"Hi honey," I waved and he smiled.

A/N: Hi all, hope you enjoyed! A couple of people have suggested an EPOV to me and so I wanted to let you know that I do plan on doing one, but it will not exactly be part of the story. Eventually, Eric is going to explain why he decided to run with Sookie in the first case, but it will be a prologue.

I've really loved all the reviews and they've been really helpful with writing this, so keep them coming


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. If I did there would be no question about whom Sookie would end up with.

Eric's smile faded pretty quickly though and he shook his head at me growling, "Your house? Do you not have any sense of self-preservation?" Typical Eric, harsh when he should have been tender and sweet in unexpected moments, but I got it, why he was angry.

Not that getting why he was mad stopped me from snapping back angrily, "I'm fine, but thanks for asking."

He raised his eyebrows at me with a level of annoyance I hadn't seen in years and said nothing.

I took a moment to contemplate the absurdity of my own statement. Victor had a grip on my upper arm that was going to leave a mark, without a doubt, and Eric was locked in a cell with silver bars – maybe fine wasn't really an apt descriptor of the situation, maybe it was more like another four-letter word that began with F.

Eric laughed shortly and summed up my thoughts as if he were the telepath, "How are you fine? How is this fine? I can think of many words to describe this situation, but fine is not one of them."

He advanced on the bars of his cell as he said this and other people might have felt scared, me, I was looking at his chest. He wasn't wearing a shirt, his anger at me was causing him to speak rapidly, which was making his chest heave up and down. I was having a hard time concentrating on what he was saying – geez, it was like I had some sort of ADD that only pertained to Eric. Anything could be happening and all I could think was, Eric's shirtless, where, let me see! If Eric chose to take off his pants the minute the world blew up and someone told me that I could save it by looking away, I would probably still just stand there staring at his ass, world be damned. I think I needed some sort of intervention. When was Victor going to leave us alone? He was going to leave us alone, wasn't he?

Eric stopped short maybe an inch from the bars and gave me a smoldering look that told me he was picking up my emotions and was getting anxious to get Victor out of there too, although still way pissed at me. Back before we'd been a couple, we'd always had great chemistry and it really came out when we were mad at each other. When we were away, we hadn't gotten angry at each other very often. It felt sort of intense and I felt like maybe I'd missed it a little bit. And that creeped me out, I was turned on by the fact that he was mad at me? Better to think about that tomorrow.

"You know you're the one –" I began angrily, but felt a stab of fear followed by a flood of caution. There was something he didn't want me to say, something he didn't want Victor to know. I didn't know what it was, so I figured my best bet was just to shut the hell up. I snapped my mouth shut and glared for a second before deciding I better say something before Victor realized what was going on. "You're the one with the ego so big that you assumed this would never happen!'

That wasn't a fair or accurate statement, but it seemed like the kind of thing I would say to Eric in a fight. Maybe I'd actually said it before. Insulting Eric's ego was kind of a fallback for me. But Eric was happy with my cover, I knew because I could feel his amusement and his lust…big lust. I think I licked my lips. We were staring at each other, heaving chests, big eyes, you would never know that Victor Madden, arch-enemy extraordinaire, was standing right there.

Victor called everyone back to reality, by asking, "Eric, can you call Miss Stackhouse?" I didn't know what he was getting at, I didn't care, in my head Eric was ripping off my clothes and taking me on the cell floor, I think that was coming out of Eric's head – this mind-sex stuff was great, way better than your average fantasy.

"Of course," Eric lied smoothly never taking his eyes off me. "She heels nicely." Liar, liar pants on fire, I thought.

And then I was on my back with the wind knocked out of me and Victor was snarling over me. I was completely caught off guard…what could I say I'd been distracted.

The only thing that had kept Victor's fangs from sinking into my neck was Eric. He was pressed against the silver bars reaching his arm through to hold Victor by the throat. Absurdly, I thought it was good Eric had long arms. Or maybe it wasn't that absurd, if he didn't I'd probably already be dead.

I could smell Eric's flesh starting to burn and knew that it must hurt like hell, on top of being an awkward angle for him, and wondered how much longer he could actually hold Victor off. He must have been questioning it too because he added a second hand pushing up against Victor's chin. The smell of charring flesh increased as he pushed himself closer to the bars to try to improve his leverage. These last few days were really re-defining the word scared for me.

I looked at Victor slid right into his mind the second I made eye contact. If he could own me, be my maker, he would own us both. He could achieve his goal without the risky "kill Eric" plan that he didn't like anyway because it could get him caught by de Castro and all the pieces were not yet in place.

And, he would be in a stronger position for his takeover because he would not only have a telepath for a child, but Eric would be under his thumb forever – tied to Victor because of his devotion to me. Yikes, I hoped that Eric wouldn't go for that. I hoped he'd kill Victor for turning me and drive a stake right through me. I wouldn't want that life – certainly not with Victor as my maker.

This was longer than I'd ever been in any vampire's head and I wanted out. Victor's mind was about the most frightening place I had ever been and I had been in Andre's head and Rene's too, neither place had anything on this. His vision of my future was turning my stomach.

Victor was already concocting his story about what had happened. Quinn had mauled me. There was no time for Eric to arrive. Victor had found me and saved me for him. He could tell Eric the same story maybe, would that work? Eric would be grateful. It would be easier to have Eric as an ally than an enemy.

Tears were flowing down my cheeks, but neither vampire knew why. They both thought I was just scared to die. I wasn't even crying over the idea of being turned – even by someone I hated like Madden – I knew that Eric and I could never survive someone controlling us like that, using us. That kind of psychological control, I couldn't live with it and Eric would resent it. It would ruin us and the "us" that we had become was probably the only thing I would protect with my life.

"Victor," I heard Eric bellow in the vampire's ear. "That is my wife. Not some pet."

Victor retracted his fangs and thought how much better it would be if even Eric believed the Quinn story. I'd have to tell Eric what I had heard. If it happened, I didn't want him to believe it. I wanted…well, he'd know. I could hardly bring myself to think it.

Victor stood up and offered me his hand. I straightened my clothes and wiped my face with my hands. I saw Eric looking at me through the bars of the cell. He was burned on his shoulders and down both arms. Parts of his face were burned too. But it was the way he was looking at me that made me want to cry. I didn't though. I reached up and tried to smooth down my hair, I made an effort anyway. I don't think it did any good.

Victor had walked over to a panel at the side of the cell, typed in a code and then placed his thumb against it to be scanned. He shoved me into the cell as soon as the door opened and placed his thumb against the panel again to allow the door to slide shut. Victor bowed to Eric, "My apologies. As you point out, this is your wife. You can have thirty minutes."

Eric hissed at him and wrapped his arms around me. I collapsed into his chest sobbing. I could feel that he was crying as well. Drops of blood were hitting my hair, which was already disheveled and dirty so what difference did a little blood make. I turned my head to tell him how sorry I was, but the words never made it out. His mouth came crashing onto mine with an urgency that had been forgotten after so many years of leisurely lovemaking. He picked me up and whispered into my hair, "I was terrified. I have told you repeatedly I don't like feeling like that. You'll put me in an early grave. I am very old you know."

I smiled at him thinking that the words I love you really didn't even begin to say it. "Sorry," I half sobbed and half laughed. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"I forgive you," he said carrying me to the bed.

He lay me down on the bed, staring at my face, clearly relieved to be seeing me again.

"We only have thirty minutes, that's not much time," I pointed out. I had meant that I needed to tell him everything that I had seen.

He stretched out next to me on the single bed, which was clearly too small for him alone, let alone both of us and grinned, "Lover, I haven't seen you for a week, you'll be lucky if I last ten minutes."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Not for that – although we'll need to work that in – I have stuff to tell you."

He looked a little puzzled and asked, "What could you find out in Hot Shot?"

"Not there. Just now."

He kissed me. "You found out how much I missed you." And whispered in my ear, "I don't know who is listening."

Great. What was I supposed to do now? I had to tell him. If nothing else, if I ended up a vampire I wanted him to expose Madden – you know right after he kicked the shit out of him. And then after the exposing I thought maybe he should move on to hacking Victor into small pieces. He lay on top of me and said softly into my ear, "Tell me everything. But first, let's get you out of these clothes."

He went to tug at my shirt and I grabbed his hand, "What the hell are you doing?" I hissed.

He smirked, cocky asshole, "Making love to you. It will be our cover. I'll make lots of noise and you can tell me your story. You should feel free to scream my name every so often to make it believable."

He yanked the blankets over our heads to deaden the sounds of our voices and presumably to give us some privacy and began divesting me of my clothing. "We're supposed to be wildly, passionately in love. You want to use our reunion moment as a cover?"

He tossed my bra out of the bed with great flourish and made quite a show out of kicking his own jeans off while managing to keep the blankets covering us. "I am wildly and passionately in love with you," he said speaking to my breasts instead of my face. And I have to say his cool breath on me made me think that I wasn't really so offended by the idea. "Believe me, I truly am. But, you indicated that what you needed to tell me was urgent. I am, as they say, trying to kill two birds with one stone."

He slid his tongue down the valley between my breasts and down toward my navel. "I'm not going to be able to concentrate," I hissed trying to stay as quiet as possible, but then he hit a tender spot right at my hip and I shrieked. He flipped us over and slid me down his body so my mouth was right near his gracious plenty and the lump of my head could be clearly seen on any video surveillance that might be in place.

"Perfect, lover. Just like there. Now tell me your story." True to his word, he yelled and shouted like I had never really heard him do before, but what the hell they didn't know that, and he really seemed to be enjoying himself even though I wasn't doing anything other than talking. Whoever was watching had to be wondering what I was doing to him…actually, they probably thought they had a pretty good idea and were probably pretty impressed with my abilities the way he was carrying on.

When I had told him everything he pulled me up his body and positioned me in a way that I knew where this was heading. There was no way the blankets were going to stay on through what he had in mind.

"What the hell are you doing?" I whispered furiously.

"Making sure they know what they've seen." And he slid deep into me. Maybe there was a small part of me that was embarrassed, but it couldn't be heard over the part that was shouting more, faster, harder. Yup, whoever was watching was getting a hell of a free show and I really could not have cared less.

We lay on the too small bed for a few moments completely and totally exhausted. "You can't let that happen. Victor can not be your maker," he said in my ear.

I nodded. "I know that."

We lay there in silence for a few more minutes. "Eric what is this place anyway?"

He barked laughter, "Victor didn't tell you?"

I shook my head. And Eric grinned broadly, "You'll love this. Quinn has bought himself into the underground fighting business. After years of working in the pits, he now owns several. Madden backed him. We're in Memphis."

I didn't get it. I looked at Eric. He continued, "Quinn's a champion. He's returning to the ring for one night only to fight me - for you. It should be quite a money maker."

I looked at him in stunned silence. Disbelief was too small to explain how I felt – incredulous worked better. "What are you talking about?"

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed, "It's Quinn's big plan. I know it's ludicrous."

"And Madeline is involved with this?"

He shrugged, "It's just a job for her. She finds people for him and Madden – supernatural fighters – brings them in, if they die, she has a fallen warrior."

"That's insane," I shouted. I don't know who I was shouting at – the injustice of the world? "It's so petty! Didn't she used to hang with gods? I can't believe she'd do that, it's so small!"

He sat up searching around the floor for his pants, "The world used to be different Sookie. The gods were pettier. Smaller minded. You know this; you've read mythology. Things were different in Madeline's day. My day."

"What about the Weres that are being killed over the marriage thing?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, "It seems that is actually a different plot and this thing with Quinn is something else. Madeline used the group to lure in angry supernaturals and someone else used it too. Easy enough."

I looked at him and thought he looked tired. And come to think of it, I'd never heard him call the Viking era, his day. "Are you okay?"

He pulled his pants on and looked at me, "I am a bit "mature" to be fighting over my girlfriend, as you insist on calling yourself."

I regarded him evenly, "What are you saying?"

He was gathering up my clothes and didn't even look up, "About what? Victor will be here soon. Do you not plan on dressing? It's fine with me if you don't it just seems unlike you."

I stayed where I was and kept looking at him. Was this all just a little too much? Locked in a cage, threatened with some sort of gladiator-style fight did I not seem worth all the trouble?

"Eric," I said and there must have been pleading in my voice because he looked right up.

"Yes, dear one?"

With his too blue eyes staring at me, I was lost. I wanted to ask if I was just too much trouble, but I felt like I shouldn't. As much as I wanted to reassurance, I felt like I needed to have a little faith in what we'd built. He was probably just sick of all the difficulties we were constantly thrust into. I know I was. Everyone had moments when they got tired of moving forward. I wanted to stay with him until he got over it. "Do you think Victor would let me stay here?" I asked hopefully. And in a moment he was on his knees before me taking my hands in one of his. I could tell by the way he was holding my hands that that was exactly what he wanted too.

"I don't think so, lover. You'll be fine though. Although no more stupid chances, all right?"

I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying. I was done with tears this week.

"And you must not let him turn you."

Gee, okay, no problem. How was I supposed to do that? Well, he was running around issuing orders, maybe he had a few answers too, "How am I supposed to stop him if he decides it's time?"

He smiled at me, "I leave that to your resourcefulness my Sookie. But I trust you to still be human when I get myself free."

"You're a big help," I griped at him.

He chuckled, "I'm more of a big picture thinker."

I looked at him and was rolling with laughter a moment later. And that's how Quinn's flunkies – Memphis Weres I guess - found us when they came to get me. I didn't have to worry about Victor as it turned out; he was long gone. Probably putting some other part of his evil plan into place.

As far as Quinn's guys' were concerned, I could stay with Eric as long as I wanted, especially if there were going to be more surveillance tapes like this evening's – I should probably have been more worried that it would end up on the Internet, but I had way bigger problems – but Quinn vetoed that pretty quickly. He said he would keep me at his place. The only positive aspect of that plan was that I might have the opportunity to escape.

_A/N: As always, thanks so much for everyone that has stuck with this story. I'm really having fun writing it. I don't know why I've never done this before except for the fact that it's really time consuming. I love the feedback, so please review or send me a PM if there is anything you really want to see!_


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: I'm posting two chapters today and they are the final two chapters. Longer note at the bottom.

I refused to speak to Quinn on the ride to his apartment or once we arrived. He showed me around. I nodded. He asked me if I wanted some food. I nodded. We ate in silence. Finally, he shoved me into the room that was to be mine for the duration of my stay, complete with bars on the windows and locks on the outside of the door to make it nice and homey, and told me I could sulk in there. Which I did, until the following night.

I heard a sharp rapping on my window and looked out to see a teenager with purple hair clinging to the wall. I almost screamed before realizing that it was Pam. I ran to the window and yanked at the painted-over sill until I got it open a crack. Pam slid her hand underneath and yanked it open the rest of the way. It was the first time I'd really taken in the window situation – there were bars on both sides and no lock to open them, which I'm pretty certain, is illegal – I was really screwed if there was a fire.

"Pam!" I said sounding as happy as you could when you were whispering. She perched on the window ledge.

I came over to the window and looked down well as much as I was able to with the whole locked in situation, but if I stood on my tiptoes I could see the ground below, "Pam, can you fly?"

She shook her head. "I used the small cracks between the bricks to crawl up the side of the building. Kind of like Spiderman, only better dressed and more attractive." Okay, then.

I smiled widely. I was really happy to see her. "How did you find me?"

She looked bored, "Madeline called me."

Hold the phone, what? "Madeline…crazy Madeline…who took Eric?"

Pam nodded and looked at me with practiced patience, "I told you, she's always liked Eric. Who knows why maybe he just reminds her of home."

I stared at her and then shook my head. This was weird in the extreme. And not just the fact that we were having this conversation while Pam was perched by her toes on the window ledge.

"I thought you meant he was special to her because they'd had sex," I blurted out.

"Well, possibly that was a factor as well," Pam said with indifference. "But Madeline is very old. I would imagine she's had sex with a number of people. Sookie, what is that expression about a horse with presents?"

"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"It's good advice." She had a point. If Madeline was feeding our side information I should just be grateful. But enough about crazy handmaidens to the gods, it was time to get this escape thing started. I made a little motion toward the bars on the windows with my hand, after all, it's not like I could do anything about them. Pam raised an eyebrow at me, "Can I help you with something? Why are you fluttering your hand about?"

I pointed to the bars, "Use your vampire he-man muscles and bend the bars or something. Let me the hell out of here!"

Pam looked aghast. "You want me to bend the bars back with my hands and then carry you down the side of the building like some sort of wannabe superhero?"

I nodded.

She snorted, "No. You have to stay here. It's part of my plan."

Now it was my turn to look aghast. "Explain," I snapped.

She rolled her eyes at me, "If I take you, John Quinn will know I'm here. He'll tell Victor and we'll lose the element of surprise. Surely, Eric has spent enough time on your education, outside of the bedroom, to teach you that surprise is a crucial factor in any engagement."

"Pam, a romance novel would teach me that."

"Fine then, you knew before you met Eric. Obviously, you did. It's always been part of your charm, you are such a surprise all the time," she sounded gleeful at her memories of how delightfully surprising I was. Personally, the thought of staying here with the crazy tiger, even as part of a broader plan, was enough to make me bring up the little amount I'd eaten and I didn't really feel like reminiscing about my charms. And besides, I was kind of wondering if she was being sarcastic.

I sat down on the bed hard, not really feeling like I could take the disappointment of not leaving with Pam standing up.

"Tomorrow, he'll bring you back to the pits. I'll be there with friends."

"Victor's in on it," I said flatly.

Pam smiled, a nice fangy one. "Oh yes, Madeline mentioned that."

"She's really having some problems what side she's on," I groused at Pam who shot me a superior vampire look. It made me want to smack her. I'd gotten that kind of look from Bill a lot – I'm a vampire and I'm so amazing and you are a human, you are so not amazing. Pam had apparently reconnected with her vampire superiority complex while she was away. Like I needed that right now.

"He wants to turn me," I snapped. "Did she mention that?"

Pam's perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up into her hairline, "No, she didn't mention that. That can not happen Sookie."

"Boy, did Eric spend enough time on your education to give you such a firm grasp of the obvious?"

Pam looked at me, a little surprised and a little amused before amusement gave way to something stronger and she burst out laughing, "My, my, you're feeling feisty this evening. I suppose I deserved that didn't I? Seriously, Sookie. Thank you for telling me. I'll make certain everyone knows and is watching for you to be in any danger of that happening. I've brought you a silver dagger."

She slid her hand through the bars and held it out like it was diamond earrings or some other really amazing gift someone might bring you when you are really, really mad at them. Considering the situation, I suppose it was a lot better than diamond earrings. Once I had taken the dagger she reached out and grasped my hand, "Will you be alright until tomorrow? There are people watching the building just in case. I won't go so far as to say you are safe, but you aren't alone."

I nodded that meant something. Besides, I knew she'd leave whether I was okay or not so I might as well focus on the positive. There was someone nearby. And then a sad thought hit me, "Eric's alone."

She shook her head at me and smiled sincerely this time, "You mustn't worry about Eric, Sookie. He will be fine. He is not ever really alone anymore; he has you." She sounded sort of shocked by the statement. I think she was more shocked that she was saying it out loud than by the actual sentiment. Vampires.

She squeezed my hand once and then without a word of goodbye dropped onto the ground as if we weren't on the fourth floor. I watched until she was out of sight, which was much faster than I would have wanted.

The following day dragged and I sort of wished that I were dead for the day because this hanging around waiting truly stunk. At around three in the afternoon, Quinn came in carrying a garment bag, "Sookie, I'm going to take you out tonight."

I looked at him. "Dinner and a show?" I asked sarcastically. At least he had the grace to blush a little.

"I've brought you a dress," he hung the garment bag on the closet door and walked back to his position blocking the door to the bedroom. "I thought you might want to shower and stuff so I'm going out to get you some things you might need. Tell me what you like and what makeup and stuff you might need to go with the dress."

Seriously? He was holding me prisoner and he wanted me to give him the name of my favorite body wash. But he was looking at me expectantly so I started reeling off a list of stuff. I was about to throw in some stuff I didn't really need but that seemed petty. He wrote it all down and said he'd bring me back some food and then I could take a shower. He also threw in that he was leaving a guard. Whatever, I wasn't going anywhere at this point. I'd follow Pam's plan, not that he knew about that.

At quarter to eight, I was dressed and ready to go. I looked down at the dress, it looked a lot like the one I had worn to Sophie-Ann's almost wedding, except that it fit. I hated it, but I could see that Quinn would pick it. Looking back on it now, it seemed like that night was practically the high point of our relationship. I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. I was so nervous that I jumped when he knocked and couldn't decide whether I should sit or stand or what.

"You ready Sookie?" he asked sticking his head in.

I nodded and then thought I should say something. It would seem strange if I just went along without question, "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to my club. I own a couple clubs now." He looked me over, "You look beautiful." Give it a rest Quinn compliments aren't going to get you anywhere with a girl you are holding hostage.

I nodded again. I was starting to feel like a bobble-head doll. "Why are we going there?"

He turned and looked at me for a long moment and then said, "Sookie, I've tried to bring you around to the right way of thinking. I've tried to make you understand with vampires its always vamps first. You don't see them for what they are. You don't know how they can be."

This again? What did he want me to say? I knew. Of course, I knew. And I was about to open my mouth to say that Eric wasn't like that, but of course, I knew he was. I knew what Eric could be, but I also knew he had honor. Maybe not human honor, but still.

I looked at Quinn coldly, "You think I've lived these last years and not known what vampires are like. You think I don't know that Eric's not…prince charming…I know. You think you're perfect? What with the betrayal and the kidnapping and all? Punching me in the face pretty much told me everything I needed to know." We glared at each other.

The hate I saw in his face was almost unbearable to look at. Amazingly, I felt a lot of pity for him. It took a lot of bad in your life to be able to hate that much. I doubted I was even capable of it. But my pity gave way pretty quickly as he saw himself ripping into Eric with big claws and then coming toward me all bloody and taking the dress…I really didn't intend to vomit on his shoes, but I can't say I'm sorry it happened either.

After Quinn had changed his clothes we headed out for the evening. He held me firmly by the upper arm. Why did people keep dragging me around by the arm? It was just obnoxious. You're supernatural I'm just a regular old human that hasn't been to a gym since high school, you think I'm going to outrun you?

When we arrived at the club Alcide Hevereaux was waiting in Quinn's outer office. He stood as we entered, "Quinn."

Quinn looked a little surprised to see Alcide and frankly I was too. I didn't know whom I had imagined Pam had brought with her, but Alcide hadn't occurred to me. Suddenly, I was real glad we had gone to his Were wedding-thingy and made a mental note that I needed to send a gift as soon as I was un-kidnapped. I wonder if they were registered anywhere? Maybe a place setting? Maybe something bigger? This was my job right? Buying gifts for Eric's business associates or was it Pam's? Second mental note; ask Eric if I had any responsibilities as his fiancée/wife.

"What are you doing here Wolf? This is no business of yours." Quinn's eyes darted around like other threats were going to jump out of the shadows any second. Hopefully, that was the case.

Alcide shook his head. I knew Quinn was a big deal in the Were world, but Alcide didn't look too impressed right now. "Sookie is a friend of my pack. And word has really spread about your little plan for tonight. It's a bad idea. Eric is really quite…well, popular isn't the right word, but maybe highly regarded."

Quinn regarded Alcide coolly and didn't even bother to discuss the Eric situation, "I'll take care of her now. The vampires still want her but I'll look out for her interests."

Alcide shook his head, "She's not your woman and she is a friend of my pack. We don't keep women against their will; it's not our way. You should allow her to choose her protector. That is if you succeed in killing Eric, which I don't think you will."

Quinn growled at him, "I'm not a member of your damn pack. Get the hell out of my way."

Alcide abruptly switched tactics, "Listen Quinn, I'm hardly Eric's biggest fan, but I think you're underestimating how hard he's going to be to kill. Really, call it all off. If she wants out from under Eric, we can back her claim together."

Quinn just looked at him. "He destroyed everything I built. He needs to pay. I had to go back to the pits!"

Alcide was nodding sympathetically. "We can file a grievance with the king." Damn, wrong thing to say. Quinn had spent years under de Castro's thumb. Quinn roared, "Get the fuck out!"

Alcide stepped back to let us pass. He wasn't going to take on Quinn alone and I couldn't say I blamed him. "Don't do this Quinn. You stand for something in our community."

Quinn shoved me roughly into the inner office and slammed the door. I was trying to keep myself from getting hysterical by chanting, there's a plan, there's a plan over and over in my head. But I didn't want Alcide to leave me alone with Quinn and it was all I could do not to claw at the door and beg him to stay.

"Yeah," he snapped at Alcide. "I always felt that way when I was working off my debt in the pits. Get the fuck out of here Hevereaux and don't go running to the vamps and bringing them here tonight. This is between the Viking and me."

"And Sookie," Alcide added. "Don't forget what you are doing to Sookie." Well, at least one of them had remembered me. But he was talking to the door because Quinn had entered his office and slammed the door in Alcide's face.

He looked at me with extreme distaste and I really wished he'd make up his mind. Did hate me or want me for himself? I supposed the truth was that he felt a lot about me like I had about him – he had thought he would love me, but then I had chosen vampires over him and he hated vampires – the big difference between Quinn and I was that he now had a large dash of crazy mixed in with his feelings. And we stood staring at each other for awhile. Both of us really hating where the other person had ended up. Both of us kind of sad that things were how they were, but thinking it was the other person that had made all the wrong choices. Both of us filled with a whole lot of hate.

"Is there anything that I can do to make you stop all this craziness? Anything that I could say for you to call this off?"

He stared at me with his large purple eyes and I knew that there was nothing. He'd have his revenge. It wasn't even Eric specifically that he was so angry with – it was just the way vampires had ruined his life. And I was just symbolic of everything that had been taken from him.

"No," he said flatly.

And that made me angrier than anything else, "You see that this is stupid right. And there's no way you're getting out of it alive."

He looked at me, the silence fell heavy between us as I realized his answer, "Yes, I've considered that." It took the wind out of my sails a little. He wasn't afraid to die. I could hear him; he'd welcome it.

He went over to his desk and opened up a drawer. He pulled out a large manila envelope – I felt like I'd seen more of those in the past week than I had in my whole life up to this point – he handed it to me. Taking it was like an out of body experience, I hadn't meant to it just seemed to happen on its own.

"Just in case," he said. "I still need to take care of my own. It's papers my mom and Frannie will need. I don't want to trust it to vampires."

I clutched the envelope to me. I knew I ought to say something here, I mean this was sort of our big screen moment, but I couldn't think of a single thing, so I just nodded.

Quinn started toward the door. And then turned back toward me, "I'll send some of guys up to get you once its time." He gave me a long look, a last look. "Victor isn't your friend."

"I know that, thanks." I meant the thanks sincerely and I tried to make sure it sounded that way. Finally, I thought of something to say, "Madeline will be waiting for you once its over?" Maybe it would have been polite to acknowledge the possibility that Quinn could win this fight, but I had no plans to do any such thing.

Now it was his turn to nod. I smiled brightly, "Well, that will be good. And I'll take care of this for you, I promise." I held up the envelope just in case my meaning wasn't clear. Although I was pretty certain it was, it was just something to do with my hands in an awkward moment. And with nothing more, he left.

Since I figured I had a little time, I sat down and had a short cry. I'm not exactly certain what I was crying over, maybe the ruin of a good man that had gotten a lot of bad breaks and had been destroyed by them. Or maybe I was just crying over the fact that even though Eric and I had built something wonderful, it was pretty much out of the ashes of all the little girl dreams I'd had for my life. I'm not saying I wanted anything different – I didn't, in fact there were things that had turned out better than I'd dared to dream – even so, I was hell and gone from anywhere that I might have thought I would end up. Maybe it wasn't something to be sad about, but at moments like this, it absolutely overwhelmed me.

**A/N: Like I said above, I'm posting two chapters today. If I decide to move forward with a sequel, I'll need a beta because it's really hard to edit yourself. And I needed someone in these last two chapters. Hope you've been enjoying. Of course, a good way to let me know you'd like a sequel is to review!**


	24. Chapter 24

Once I'd had my cry – it was a short one – I dried my eyes and tried to repair my makeup. I didn't want to show up in the arena looking like I'd been crying. I knew I needed to look confident and proud. When I had finished repairing myself there was nothing to do but sit and wait for the knock. I didn't have to wait long.

Three burly Weres – members of the Memphis pack angry about the new laws and chafing under a tough vampire Sheriff loved Quinn – escorted me to a box seat in Quinn's little fight club. Fantastic. Not how I wanted to spend my evening.

I looked around and people were dressed like they were going to a boxing match in Vegas. I never got that. You get dressed up in jewels and furs to watch two men beat the hell out of each other? You could come to Merlotte's parking lot during football season in cut-offs and a t-shirt and watch that for free.

My guards escorted me to my seat and stood around waiting for the action to start. One of them seemed distracted and I noticed he was talking to a pretty blonde girl; she looked kind of like Taylor Swift, long curly blond hair, sequined dress, thin. There was no way she was twenty-one so obviously they weren't too concerned about carding. She was texting someone on her phone and laughing holding it up to show him. As she did this she turned slightly to look over her shoulder, right at me. Her eyes pinned me like she'd known I was there the whole time and she didn't look like a girl to me, but a scary predator dressed like teen. Jesus Christ Shepard of Judea, it was Pam.

How had she gotten her hair to do that? Man, Eric was good, but he could take some disguise lessons from Pam, because she looked nothing like the girl that had come to see me the other night and certainly nothing like the Pam I was used to. She looked like she belonged on the cast of Gossip Girl.

She smiled up at the Were and he motioned her into the box. Could he not tell what she was? He pointed some things out around the arena. She giggled. He whispered in her ear, she looked shocked, but intrigued. The perfect ingénue. This guy was an idiot and he was probably going to end up a dead idiot before the end of the night. She asked for something to drink and he hopped to get it.

And that's when she headed for me. "How de do," she said in a perfect imitation of my own accent. I found myself literally unable to speak. Finally, I choked out, "Just fine thank you. You?"

"Just fine thanks. My name's Ashley." Ashley? Really? Her eyes were twinkling. She was having a blast. She prattled on and on waiting for her Were and midway through a whole lot of sentences about nothing she said, "So I'm just waiting for my friend Sara Weiss to come meet me."

Sara Weiss? Hold the phone. Agent Weiss. Pam had called in the FBI. I had to say I wouldn't have thought of that. But it was freaking brilliant. Although how Agent Weiss was going to pass for Pam's BFF, I had no idea. I didn't see how you could make her look like anything other than a career-mom, not that there was anything wrong with that, but really she'd do better coming in pretending to be Pam's angry mom. I didn't have much time to wonder about it because just a minute later, Pam's Were-honey came to drag her forward, "It's starting."

She popped right up like it was the most exciting thing she'd ever heard – not that I'd ever seen her excited about anything other than a good fight, but I suppose that was still true, after all this promised to be a hell of a good fight – and next thing I knew, teeny-bopper Pam was grabbing my hand and pulling me forward, "C'mon. You don't want to miss when they walk in."

Well, I'd never been to anything like this before, but for certain I did not want to miss one second of Eric. I was up out of my chair and pressed against the railing, just like Pam, before you could say sexy vampire.

There was an announcer prattling away about something, but I wasn't hearing any of it. Because I could see him now. Eric was watching me from the entryway to the arena. It wasn't like a boxing match more like a gladiator-style type thing. He was in one of the doorways and had not yet entered the "field of battle." We were above in a circular configuration. A lot of the seating on my level seemed to be private boxes. There was a row below us that was more like bleacher style seats. Probably I should have taken a moment to appreciate the fact that I'd never watched any type of sporting event in this sort of luxury – mostly just the metal benches at Bon Temps high – but I didn't even notice because in that disconcerting vampire-way, Eric looked right at me from the other side of the large space. He didn't have to search; he found me the second he looked up and it was no accident, his eyes were piercing. His expression was blank as he stared, although I knew mine was not, and then he winked. I could feel a tear trickle out of the side of my eye, but I smiled bright as day and could almost feel Pam role her eyes as I waved. Dignity be damned. He was not embarrassed like Pam; he grinned, but of course he didn't wave back. Then playtime was over and it was down to business. He entered the arena.

Quinn came in through the other side. Forgetting that I wasn't supposed to know her, I grabbed Pam's hand and dug in with my nails just to have a place to release the tension. What the hell, no one was watching us anymore. She looked at me a little surprised and then patted my hand awkwardly with her other one. "It's fine," she whispered. "It won't get anywhere." I couldn't bring myself to turn my head and ask her what she was talking about. I was too scared of what might happen if I looked away.

Eric walked to the middle of the arena and stood, waiting for Quinn to advance on him. Quinn did. He leaped, transforming in mid-air, it occurred to me that I needed to tell Eric that it looked way cooler for real than it had in the New Moon movie. And that was when I heard Amelia think right at me that she was on her way toward me and I needed to take care of the guard on my right. She was going to put wards up around the box. Then I heard her thinking even more loudly, watch for Victor. Watch for Victor. I didn't know if she was thinking that for me or for her, but it seemed good advice either way.

She started chanting softly. I didn't know if that was in her head or if she was close enough to hear now and just as I was about to look around to find out, Pam turned to her Were companion and swiftly broke his neck. He hadn't even hit the floor before she hopped onto the guard next to him and sank her fangs deep into his neck.

As if I had practiced it, which I can assure you I hadn't, I turned in opposite direction to find the one guard left for me and sank my silver dagger into his neck in a motion that mirrored Pam's. The large difference being that Pam had killed two men neatly, while my act splattered blood across my dress and a lot of the box, well, just one more reason to burn this dress.

Amelia was behind me now and I could feel another familiar mind, Sam's, next to her. She was growing louder and more and more people were starting to take notice that all the action wasn't down on the floor. I looked down and saw Eric glance toward us. Pam shouted something in a language I didn't know and he stepped to the left allowing striking Quinn's momentum to carry him past Eric and directly into a wall. But Eric's mind was no longer on the fight it was on our box. He looked up at us and while Quinn recovered from his collision with the wall, Eric sprang and landed crouched, hissing on the railing of the box just as a voice called out, "FBI! Stay where you are!"

And that's when everything really went nuts.

Nuts is way to tame a description for the chaos that erupted in the arena, pandemonium is probably better. Weres were transforming, humans were screaming, FBI members were shooting tranquilizer darts at anything that growled too loudly and vampires were getting the hell out of there by any means necessary, at least the old ones. I noticed a few young ones used the opportunity for a quick snack. I also thought I saw Victor disappear into the melee. I caught his eye for a moment and tried to get Eric's attention, but a vampire that's gone into defensive mode can be hard to reach and by the time Eric turned to where I had indicated, Victor was gone. I was pretty sure he'd tipped his hat to me as he'd left, but maybe that was just my imagination running wild.

A couple hours later I was still sitting in the box, now draped in an FBI windbreaker and had given my statement to several different people. I'd watched Quinn get carted off in handcuffs and felt sad for him and for Madeline, not having gotten her warrior. Eric took that moment to plunk himself down next to me. He hadn't managed to find any shoes that fit, but he had jeans and an FBI t-shit that was a little too small. He watched them lead Quinn out as well.

"I'm sorry for him," he said softly. I'm not positive he was really even talking to me, but I was sitting there so I thought I might as well answer.

"Me too," I said and laid my head on Eric's shoulder. He kissed my hair softly.

"I would hate that," he said into my hair.

I looked at him half-annoyed and half-accepting, "Death before dishonor and all that crap?"

He searched my face for a moment and brushed my hair over my shoulder, "Something like that. I just know I couldn't live in a cage."

And what could I really say. I couldn't live in a cage either. I was just so damn happy he wasn't finally dead. "I love you," I said into his neck.

He smiled. I knew because I could feel the movement against the top of my head, "What are you doing this weekend?"

Okay, random. "I don't know. Stuff with the new house I guess. You've been held prisoner for a week you want to go clubbing or something?" I laughed. Eric never wanted to go clubbing.

"No, I want to get married."

Yeah, that would be better than clubbing. I smiled brightly with not a hint of falseness and looked up at him, "We could do that."

He smirked at my casual response, "Really, you think so?"

I took his hand in mine and linked our fingers through one another then I climbed onto his lap, straddling him. I had to hike my dress up quite a bit and I saw his eyebrow quirk skyward with interest. "Yes, I think so. Assuming you're asking me to marry you, you know, human marry you."

He unhooked his hand from mine and wove his fingers through my hair forcing me to look directly into his eyes. If I hadn't known it wouldn't work I would have thought he was trying to glamour me. I felt glamoured. Like I was drowning in those too blue eyes or maybe that was just love, whatever it was, it felt great. "Will you marry me?" he asked softly.

I nodded my head and said, "Yes."

He leaned in to kiss me and whispered against my mouth, "We'll need the papers you took from my office."

How does he know these things?

I spent the rest of that week running around like a crazed weasel trying to get everything done. Pam was a tremendous help. Amelia, not so much, but she was supportive. Five days and about two hundred frantic phone calls later, found Eric and I driving north to a small, vampire-friendly resort just outside of Bennington, Vermont. Pam, Amelia and Sam, and my brother and Michele would be joining us up there. Tara and JB had begged off. Personally, I thought Tara wasn't too into the idea of toddlers at a vampire-friendly resort. I tried not to be offended by that. It was something I was going to have to live with.

I had a dress, not a completely traditional wedding dress, but more like a white evening gown – hey, there's only so much you can do in that amount of time. Other than that, the resort said they'd take care of everything. It wasn't what I imagined my wedding was going to be like, but it was perfect anyway.

It was a long drive, but that was fine. We had a lot to discuss. Victor wanted to turn me to help him achieve his goal of overthrowing de Castro and that made our world very dangerous. He was an enemy. And of course, there were the hate groups. It's not like they were going to be nicer once we came back married.

Victor and the hate groups and how to protect me from them, it looked like those were our two main problems now. Pam had made her feelings very clear on the topic. I should be turned. It wasn't safe for me to stay human. Sam, on the other hand, was disgusted by the very idea and had flown into a rage at Pam's suggestion, which unfortunately she chose to make in front of both him and Amelia. Eric, it seemed, had no opinion on the subject or at least not one he was sharing, even with me.

For the first time ever, I felt nothing on the topic. I was tired of talking about it. Tired of thinking about it. I just wanted to have one weekend to enjoy the good parts of my life. When I yelled that over Pam and Sam's argument, it didn't stop them. Eric had watched them for a moment longer, taken a sip of True Blood and said, "Pam, shut up." I was kind of frustrated that no one had listened to me, but at least they stopped.

Now Eric and I were driving toward our wedding, not talking about this big issue that would continue to raise itself – ha, raise itself, vampires, that's kind of funny. I laughed out loud at my own joke and Eric looked at me with a smirk. "Amusing yourself?"

I told him what I was thinking and he smiled and then the silence began to stretch between us. Finally he asked, "Is this something you want to discuss?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I guess we have to talk about it eventually."

He looked purposefully at the road. For the first time in a long time I hated that I could feel Eric's emotions because I could feel his hopes rising slightly before he clamped them down. "What are your concerns?" he asked in the most neutral voice possible.

"Other than being dead?"

"Yes, other than that."

I thought about it. Never seeing the sun. Aging while all my friends stayed young. The eternalness of it all. Would the FBI even want a vampire worker? And what about this relationship, would it stay the same? Finally, I said, "Aren't you the one who told me that relations between vampires are sort of unusual and don't really last."

Now it was his turn to shrug, "Perhaps that would not be the case for us. The passion that I feel for you is certainly unlike anything I have ever felt. Perhaps, it would be your gift." Right, because all vampires got a gift. I wondered what Pam's was? I'd never thought to ask her. Was it rude to ask? Did they even all get a gift or were some more special than others? And if so, had they been more special as humans? There really was a lot I didn't know.

I quirked an eyebrow at him, "You get to fly, but my gift is to have you be passionately in love with me for all eternity."

He smirked, cocky bastard, "Some might say that's not a bad gift."

I grinned back, "Some might."

We drove on in silence for awhile longer, but it was a lot less uncomfortable than the earlier one.

"Do you have questions lover? Things that I haven't told you that would help you?"

Maybe it was rude, but I couldn't help it, I laughed until I choked, "Eric, there are so many questions that you haven't answered it isn't even funny. I stopped looking for answers a long time ago."

He looked annoyed and a little chagrined. I didn't want to ruin things between us on such a special weekend, "That's why I'm doing this you know, getting married." He looked less annoyed now and more intrigued. "I figure that way you can't get away and eventually I can get all my questions answered."

He chuckled, "And I thought it was my dashing good looks that had finally enticed you."

"That too." Really what had enticed me was just that it was time and he'd asked. I'd known he was the guy for so long I couldn't really remember why we weren't married already.

He reached for my hand in the darkness, finding it without a problem, and brought it to his lips kissing each finger softly. "You don't have to decide anything right away dear one. There is plenty of time. And I am a very patient man."

I snorted, "Yup, that's the word on the street – Eric Northman, patience of a saint."

"Anyone that says otherwise, clearly, has not met you," he responded laughing.

I snatched my hand away and glared at him playfully because how could I be angry, it was the truth. I leaned my head back against the seat and sighed, "It's such a nice night and we've hardly had any time, just the two of us, since we came back here. I don't want to think about any of that stuff tonight. I just want to think about the wedding and the wedding night."

And then we were staring at each other making stupid goo-goo, I'm going to marry you, eyes at each other. Seriously, I know there are people out there – Victor to name one – that are all het up about Eric and I as some kind of supernatural power couple, but I wonder what they'd think if they saw us alone together. It will never happen though because I'm safer if they don't know how sappy we can be about each other.

"I can think about all this vampire stuff tomorrow or another day," I sighed softly and stared out into the night.

Eric snickered in the seat next to me and pressed down a little harder on the accelerator, "All right then Scarlett, you think about it tomorrow." And then resting his hand on my inner thigh said softly, "Take all the time you need Sookie, I'm not going anywhere."

I turned and looked at him, taking in all his beauty and how happy he made me, "I'm counting on that."

_**A/N: So that's it! I know the ending leaves some things up in the air, but I really like it. **_

_**I'm back and forth on doing anything more with this story, although I've really enjoyed my time with it. Originally, I'd been contemplating a prologue from Eric's POV explaining why they left in the first place and then a sequel, but I can't decide. I'd love some feedback. Please review…after all…this is your last chance **___


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